Who are you, and what did you do with my wife?

[ShoopCE]

Before I start the story, please understand that my wife is a wonderful person :thumbup: and has been surprisingly supportive ever since I gingerly mentioned that I was, you know, maybe thinking of buying a bike. (I was riding when we met in college but tapered off then stopped a bit after our first was born and I started a suit & tie job.) But she also has a rep for being pretty much a straight arrow, which seems to come with teaching elementary school music.

So, I find the bike I want, Craigslist. It's a great deal but is 60 miles away and is on the other side of the river, in Ohio. I'm in WV. Plan A was for my neighbor (experienced rider, great guy) to ride it back, but he was not available till Sunday. Then I learn from my local dealer that I need to get the title notarized because it will be switching states, and our best bet was to go to the Ohio BMV. They're not open on Sunday. Will I wait till next weekend? RIGHT

So, plan B is that I ride it back. Yep, first ride in at least 25 years - 60 miles. The wife is still fine with this. Notice the title of the post?

One more wrinkle. I forgot to look into getting temp plates. We realize this in the parking lot at the BMV. After a bit of discussion we decide to wing it. (This part is unlike either of us. BIKE FEVER!)

Next, I suggest that I should follow her on the way back home, but she insists that she'd rather follow me. She hates the GPS and wasn't watching the road on the way there. After a very brief suspicion that she was going along with the whole bike thing so she could dispose of me by running me down, well fairly brief, I agreed and we go.

So I take off and I'm being VERY VERY careful, sticking to the speed limit EXACTLY! Perfect skills-test-type stops at stop signs, the works. The wife is following closely so, you know, it's less likely anybody, ahem, will get close enough to notice the lack of a plate. The first 20 miles were 2-lane with no place to pass. I noticed that a red Cherokee was tailgating my wife pretty hard for the last few miles before the road widened to 4 lanes. Soon as possible, the Jeep flew by. A few minutes later my wife passes and signals to pull over. She's decided to use a gun?

So I stop, pop the helmet, and walk up to the car. She asks, "Are you doing OK?" I'm grinning ear to ear. Yeah, it's going great. I LOVE this bike! Again she asks, "No, really. Is everything OK?" Hmmmm, I finally recognize the tone of voice, and the look in the eye. So I ask, "What's up Honey? Why are you asking?"


Get ready...


She asks, "Why are you going SO SLOW?" After a moment of stunned silence, maybe a minute or ten, I cracked another grin and asked her the "who are you?" line. But she's serious. "I was going exactly 55! It wasn't a 65 zone, was it?" She says "No, but you were going 51, not 55." But, but, NO Way! Never...

Hmmmm. After a moment, some of those old brain cells reconnected and I remembered seeing posts on this forum about the speedometer error. I resolved ON THE SPOT that I was going to get one of those calibration correctors. The rest of the trip I did not enjoy estimating my speed by multiplying by 0.9.

After getting home and doing a bit more research I ordered a SpeedoDRD. Installation was very easy. Wife helped calibrate it with ony a few compaints. It works great!

BTW, the tags were obtained first thing that Monday and the inspection was done Tuesday.


Chris

 

[Verharen]

Just wait until she starts looking for her own bike! Then you'll know for certain that "bike fever" is contagious. :thumbup:

 

[motojoe122]

:needpics::needpics:

 

[iviyth0s]

Hahaha, oh that speedometer error.... I can't wait to eventually throw on the 17T front sprocket and nearly eliminate it all together.

 

[ShoopCE]

Just wait until she starts looking for her own bike! Then you'll know for certain that "bike fever" is contagious. :thumbup:

Indeed it is, but that's not likely to happen real soon Verharen. Though she's been supportive, I'm not getting ANY positive response on getting her on the bike. She rode with me precisely three times before we were married - and that was with the bribe of chocolate icecream at the destination. My evil plans are to coerce her into going for a ride or several by getting the neighbors, who ride a touring bike, to suggest that she should go along. I suspect I should instead be working on getting her back on her bicycle on the nearby rails to trails.

 

[2nd childhood]

Hahaha, oh that speedometer error.... I can't wait to eventually throw on the 17T front sprocket and nearly eliminate it all together.

I've been thinking of doing the same thing, but what's that do to the top end? Currently at 70mph (according to the speedo) I'm turning 6,000 RPMs and don't necessarily want that to increase a great deal simply to have a more accurate speedometer.

 

[mave2911]

The 17T corrects the speedo to within .5% (yes, point five) and doesn't really have any effect other than that.

It's approximately 6.5% taller, so only a professional would notice (and then, probably not really!)

I've been running 17T/46T for over 10 000mi, and the only adverse effect was slightly lower fuel economy.

Cheers,
Rick

 

[yamihoe]

the only adverse effect was slightly lower fuel economy.

Cheers,
Rick

the fuel mileage isnt lower, its more accurate.... with the speedo error theres also a odometer error...mine was slightly less error than the speedo error was, 7% vs9%.

so your gas mileage isnt worse, its just showing you a number you dont want to see

 

[iviyth0s]

the fuel mileage isnt lower, its more accurate.... with the speedo error theres also a odometer error...mine was slightly less error than the speedo error was, 7% vs9%.

so your gas mileage isnt worse, its just showing you a number you dont want to see

+1, it's lower PERCEIVED mileage

 

[mave2911]

the fuel mileage isnt lower, its more accurate.... with the speedo error theres also a odometer error...mine was slightly less error than the speedo error was, 7% vs9%.

so your gas mileage isnt worse, its just showing you a number you dont want to see

Funny you should say that....

I am well aware that the odometer will change directly in proportion to the speedo, as there is only one signal wire.

So, I calculate this change when I work out my economy - and it is still slightly lower.

Cheers,
Rick

 

[VEGASRIDER]

Wear your gear. Another returning rider, a common scenario, please look into taking a motorcycle safety class. Beginning or experience you will benefit and it will pay off. I'm afraid you may have too many driving habits which should not apply to riding even if the rules of the road are the same for both.

 

[PhotoAl]

Great story about the wife! Sounds like my wife who has ridden with me exactly 2 times on the FZ6 (first time was down the street and back!). She totally refuses to get on the CBR600RR with me - complains about the tiny seat and nothing to hang on to (to which I reply there's me). She has ridden three times in Italy on a scooter with me and absolutly loved it. Even talking of driving to Auburn and "stealing" our daughter's scooter to have to ride around the Barber Vintage Festival this weekend! Don't worry about the daughter she stole the scooter from me and used my car to do it!!

Have a great time with the new bike, wear all the gear all the time and practice your low speed bike handling. I found the hardest part of riding the FZ6 to be in parking lots - it is pretty top heavy and can get out of hand pretty quick. Once up to speed remember:
1. You are invisible, particularly to those turning to their left in front of you or pulling out in front of you.
2. Those that do see you are out to kill you (just kidding but concept is to watch for careless/dumb moves by others).
3. Being the fall of the year watch out for leaves, pine straw and other stuff on the road (pine straw can be very slippery).
4. Stay alert, plan ahead, know your route before you leave and don't zone out. Have to always be alert and watching the road ahead.

Riding a bike has made me a much better driver as I'm much more aware when driving - however I have hurt my hand several times when I bang it into the door when waving to other riders!

 

[ShoopCE]

Wear your gear. Another returning rider, a common scenario, please look into taking a motorcycle safety class. Beginning or experience you will benefit and it will pay off. I'm afraid you may have too many driving habits which should not apply to riding even if the rules of the road are the same for both.

Vegas (& PhotoAl),

Great advice, and my ears aren't deaf. I'm already on it!

I'm signed up for BRC-2 in Morgantown this weekend. The session here in PKB closed out because I was the only one signed up. So I'll be taking an 80-mile ride each way so I can have the one day session r/t the three day one. I probably should have checked to see if OH reciprocates with WV training, but frankly I'm looking forward to the ride, at least the first leg. There are some great winding curves on Rt 50.

I added a jacket just last night, Tourmaster Sabre 3. Still thinking about the pants, but the rest was either in the closet or added with the bike.

 

[yamihoe]

I am well aware that the odometer will change directly in proportion to the speedo, as there is only one signal wire.

So, I calculate this change when I work out my economy - and it is still slightly lower.

Cheers,
Rick

but when you calculate it are you assuming that the odometer was correct to begin with? my odometer was 7% off and speed was 9%...
wouldnt the sprocket correct the odometer error too and show a more accurate number?
all error disagreements aside, maybe your bike just doesnt like sprocket and it eats gas to spite you.