Ride recap

I want to detail a few rides before I FORGET already!  So far, I have not been a multi state driver, but we have done a lot of our east Tennessee paradise.  I will say that David pushes me.  He doesn't let the excuse, "I'm just a beginner" hold ANY water.  When we were cruising through Knoxville uphill on a 55 mph 2 lane with traffic and curves, and I fell behind enough to let a car cut between us, he had to have a 'conversation' with me about staying up close enough.  I argued that I didn't feel comfortable and he said to push through it or I would never GET comfortable.  And he's right!  In subsequent rides, I have realized that I'm not thinking as hard/holding my jaw as tight/feeling tight thorough my neck from tension any more.  I sit up straight, keep my hands relaxed, and let the bike float through the turns.

I have now driven on the Cherohala Skyway as a driver, and it is AWESOME.  The only bad thing is I can't enjoy the views any more!  I just have to see them out of my peripheral.  We have done several long rides; on the last one I referenced in my blog, we drove west towards Cookeville.  Cookeville is halfway between Knoxville and Nashville.  We had 'way points' of McCloud Mountain, Burgess Falls, Cummins Falls, and Fall Creek Falls.  We drove through the Big South Fork recreation area, and that was an unexpected treasure!  Nice and cool in the shade, lots of cliffs and sheer rock walls, and 10 mph hair pin curves.  Those are challenging!  I could see how people can lay a bike down if you don't get in the friction zone.  It was a LONG day that ended up HOT.  We hit Cummins Falls first, and didn't realize it was going to be a several mile hike down/up hill and along a creek bed to get to the falls.  We simply were not dressed for that.  I was wearing jeans, my paddock boots, and my half chaps.  By the time we gave up getting all the way to the base of the falls and turned around to just take the trail up to the top, I was working on some gnarly blisters.  We finally made it back out to the bikes and began working our way towards Burgess.  That one was better, but what was a leetle bit disappointing is that the "big" falls was a 3/4 mile strenuous hike.  The boys were tired, and my feet were killing me, so we just took in the 'small' and the 'medium' falls, which were still drop dead gorgeous!  We didn't make it to the 3rd park.

Cummins Falls

We've gone into Gatlinburg and and Pigeon Forge, of course.  We've now gone through Foothills Parkway twice, and today we did it half way, then turned down a side road that ended up being the most challenging road to date for me!  Even moreso than the Dragon.  Even moreso than Big South Fork.  It was a road that was so narrow it didn't have a yellow line, it had a pronounced "crown" in the middle of it, and it had gnarly curves on a dramatic downhill grade.  To complicate matters, there was quite a bit of loose gravel and washed out leaf piles from the recent storms we've had. The cherry on top was the stop sign on a steep, cantilevered uphill!

Burgess Falls

A fun ride we did with the inlaws and family friend was south towards Chattanooga, where we ate breakfast at a cute cafe in Tellico Junction.  We continued to Ocoee, which is rafting central.  We turned down Hwy 64, which is the Ocoee River Scenic Byway.  That was so neat, we had to go back the following week with the baby and the car!

Speaking of ... I have to vent for a second.  I'm a sharer.  I share this blog, and I like to post in 'forums'.  After the COTH debacle with one of my ex bestfriends, I no longer even read COTH.  Lost interest in the whole "pack mentality" of perceived online wrongs.  Since becoming interested in motorcycles, I've joined a few facebook motorcycle boards and I post on both fairly regularly.  Nothing controversial; in fact, I don't even READ political posts that my friends and family post so I'm not even tempted to insert my opinion.  I'm allergic to drama, lol!  Last week at the Ocoee dam, there was a HUGE open and empty parking lot where we ate a picnic lunch.  We had finished eating, and was getting ready to head out.  Colton has sat on David's bike QUITE a few times at home just going forward and back; he LOVES it.  His whole BODY lights up when he hears them running.  When we're outside and he hears one going down the road, he practically breaks his neck trying to look.  We KNEW he would do just fine sitting on the tank for a loop around the parking lot.  David was fully dressed in his jeans/boots/long sleeved shirt/full faced helmet because WE WERE RIDING ALL DAY.  Colton was wearing shorts and no helmet because he doesn't have one; he can't reach the foot pegs which means he CAN'T RIDE ON THE HIGHWAY.  Yes, y'all know where this is going.  My dumb ass posted the 30 second, 5 mph ride in the parking lot.  David was going so slow the Subway bag SITTING on the back of the bike didn't even MOVE.  Much to my surprise, I got jumped on by a bunch of internet strangers telling me someone should call CPS because I was endangering my baby's life (one of the biggest issues seemed to be the fact that David was wearing full gear and Colton was not).  GIVE ME A BREAK.  He was in NO danger of falling off; he weighs 25 lbs, is in full control of his muscles, and was sticky with sweat.  David is one of the most protective fathers I know, he would NEVER, EVER put either boy in any sort of danger.  Fun?  Yes.  I am so sick of people thinking they have all the information in any given situation, and thinking it's ok just to jump people's ass on the internet. And by the way, the baby's CRAZY OVERPROTECTIVE GRAND PARENTS WERE WATCHING/FILMING/ AND CHEERING FOR HIM. Once again, I have been reminded that by sharing my life/opinions/observations, I leave myself vulnerable to virtual attacks.  It's pathetic.  Ok, rant over!  Thanks for the vent :D

Tomorrow (or Sunday) I will post about tips and tricks I have learned that actually work and actually help me as a novice rider.  Stay safe and ride free!

The controversial baby

Cruisin' down Hwy 411

Lake in the Sky

The view from Look Rock

Khaleesi and Cheyenne

Can't believe I'm 20 minutes from this view!

My soul mate.  Can you believe our 18 year wedding anniversary is this month??

Musings on the Indian Scout, from a beginner's perspective

Up on my toes because that engine is HOT

If I'm being specific, my title should say "Scout Sixty", and add in (who also happens to be a woman).  To make this blog post super short, I love 99% of my 2016 Scout Sixty.  I am SO grateful this bike exists.  I mean, let's get real.  I sat on my VERY first motorcycle as a driver exactly 59 days ago.  I'm 5'2 and sit behind a desk every day.  Now that I've had about 5 rides of 50+ miles, I'm ready to give a beginner perspective on my Khaleesi.

Khaleesi and her stable mate, Cheyenne

First things first is quality.  ALL the pro reviews out there have no bones to pick on the fit and finish of the bike.  After sitting on a demo Suzuki today and deciding NOT to even bother to demo it because of the extreme lack of quality, I appreciate the solid feel of my Scout even more.  I really like the solid shifting.  I can really HEAR it, but it doesn't feel luggish or heavy.  I CAN feel when I'm shifting down into first, which is great.  I've only 'missed' a shift ... maybe 5 or 6 times total in 1000+ miles.  And by 'missed', I mean shifted from 1st to N :)  I also love how no matter how long I've been riding, finding N is effortless.  I learned to ride on an H-D Street 500, and pretty much the second that damn thing got hot, it was like an act of Congress to find N with the engine running.

She gets just about to 150 miles before the fuel light comes on

Next, I love the size of the bike.  It's JUST right for someone maybe not so blessed in the height department.  The weight is very manageable, but I'm going to be honest and transparent ... I've dropped her already :(  The epic ride we took 2 weekends ago, I got a little careless at a pull out when David was stopping to check his map.  I wasn't straight so I was making a conscious effort to not use my front brake so I WOULDN'T go down, and I only put down my left foot as my right one was on the rear brake ... stepped down in a tiny little hole ... before I could blink, she was over on her side.  So though the size of the bike is confidence building, DON'T think you can just sling it around like a dirt bike.  On the bright side, I have been EXTRA careful at every incidence of stopping and have made sure to put both feet down; so far, so good.

Tiny country roads are the BEST

Let's talk about the power.  The Scout Sixty has 130 less CC's than her bigger sibling, the Scout.  She also boasts one less gear.  Now, I didn't buy a Sixty because of that; for me, it was more of price and opportunity.  I live in an area where there can be a fair amount of traffic, which means when you pull out, you have to get on that throttle pretty hard sometimes.  I have never felt in danger due to a lack of power.  I have whaled pretty hard on the gas and shifted quickly up into 5th gear, leaving the cages far behind!  On the interstate, going 75 in 5th gear runs around 3500-3800 RPM's, and I still feel like there's plenty of power to get up to 80/85 if necessary.  That's as fast as I EVER feel like going on a motorcycle; I'm a wife, sister, daughter, and a mother; my life is more important than my adrenaline rush!

This brings us to the handling part of the bike.  There has been some discussion that you don't have an AMAZING turning radius, but for normal road riding, it is way more than sufficient.  In fact, our ride today involved more than 5 actual U turns, and several left hand turns that may as well have been U turns!  Assuming the driver can safely execute slow speed maneuvers, the Scout is responsive and agile, turning easily when you give power to that rear wheel.  And curves?  They don't stand a chance!  Depending on how you try to (man)handle her, she will literally just float through the curves with minimal effort on the rider's part.  It's a VERY confidence inspiring ride!

Tail of the Dragon, anyone?

For a new rider, I think the amount of information available at hand with regards to the rider readouts doesn't need to be like what you have on the Chieftan.  I think the available info of time, speed, RPM's, and gear you're in is just perfect.  I have all the info I need right at my fingertips, and nothing to distract me.  And can I just say ... the self cancelling turn signal is just one less thing to have to worry about all the time!

Our riding family has expanded!

OK, the 1% I would change.  I wish the Scout had a key fob like the big bikes.  Or maybe a different location for the key.  I have just a small, regular sized key ring, and it hits my leg as I'm driving down the road.  Small nuisance, but a nuisance nonetheless.  The design of the seat; it locks you pretty effectively into one position, and within 30 minutes my butt is asleep.  I wish I had a little more positional freedom, but you're pretty limited with how you can sit on her.   Because of her weight, I do feel her get blown around at high speeds some.  Never to the point of feeling out of control, but enough that I can feel the shimmy and it makes this new rider nervous.  I don't know if there's any way to fix that other than make it heavier, and I'd rather put up with a slight shimmy than have to wrestle around 300 additional pounds! Finally, that damn engine is HOT.  The inside of my right thigh burns every time I pull up to a stop; I don't want to modify her right now because I would hate to do anything to void my warranty, so I think I'm going to be stuck with a leather crotch cooler.  My husband's Kawasaki Vulcan has never burned his leg at all; even when it's hot, it doesn't put out copious amounts of heat.  Why can't the Scout be designed that way?  The H-D Street 500 burned my leg too, so it's not about the size of the engine!

This is an ACTUAL sign at the bottom of McCloud Mountain

In conclusion, my Scout is not only the perfect "starter" bike, it's the perfect "forever" bike.  My experienced husband test drove her, and said it was just a blast to ride on.  The forward controls makes her flexible for accommodating taller riders, but it doesn't make me as a shorter rider feel uncomfortable.  You'd think the pegs would cause your toes to fall asleep, but so far so good.  I really haven't had any problems with that.  I adjust my foot position slightly between the ball of my foot on the pegs, to putting my foot 'home' on the pegs, resting right in front of the heel of my boots.  I've ridden my baby as a passenger, and I do NOT like the Scout as a 2- up bike, so if that's what you're in the market for, I recommend you pass.  I had the dealer switch out the passenger seat/pegs for a windshield.  I think the passenger setup is just too cramped.  Me personally, I will NEVER carry a passenger, so solo seat all the way for me!  I feel extremely accomplished for the 45 days I've been licensed (it took a few weeks to get to the DMV, lol).  I feel it's a testament to the rider friendly design of the bike that this newbie has ridden up McCloud Mountain, the Foothills Parkway, and the Tail of the Dragon, not to mention all the small, unnamed curvy mountain roads.  I've had quite a bit of highway and interstate riding, and have turned just over 1000 miles so far.  NO plans to ever trade her in.  If anything, in the future, I'll have a SECOND bike, but my Khaleesi will stay in my stable permanently.

Enjoying these beautiful Tennessee back roads

Beautiful, beautiful things

Confidence is an amazing thing.  I am NOT a natural athlete.  My husband is; David can throw, catch, and hit just about any type of ball.  He can sprint like a freaking cheetah, and he ice skates just as well as he roller skates.  Natural.  Me on the other hand, NOT a natural, lol.  I run as slow as a turtle, I'm deathly afraid to catch a football, and a year's worth of ice skating lessons taught me to skate backwards and manage to come to a shaky stop WITHOUT having to use the wall for brakes.  What I can do, is ride.  Am I a genius on horseback?  No, but I'm certainly not bad.  I just have to be mounted on an appropriately sized horse :)  Big barrels and short legs do not mix!  But the principles of riding well; staying in the middle, strong but relaxed arms, eyes up and looking ahead, heels down and legs steady ... that I'm good at.  And I DO have guts.  I have no problem with hopping on a "scary" problem horse and applying my knowledge to try and solve an issue.

Most recent equine "problem child".  Love it when they improve!

Maybe that's why I've taken to riding motorcycles, as David puts it, like a duck to water.  The day I got my bike, the ONLY road experience I had at ALL was 4 times around the demo track on the 2 demo Scouts I rode.  The only "curve" experience I had was around orange cones on a closed "range".  Well ... we left the dealership in Knoxville, hit the interstate, and headed up to Townsend, then through Gatlinburg.  If you've ever been to the sleepy little tourist towns of east Tennessee, you know the entire area is one small curvy mountain road after another!  We gassed up and rode those roads!  I had a few moments where I gritted my teeth and forced my hands/arms to relax, but for the most part I have had no issues.  My "fear" is of hairy stop signs; uneven ground and/or steep hills along with stops where you have to make a bold turn into the flow of traffic.  Sometimes when I stop, I feel the pull of the bike to one side or the other, and I get a flashback of dumping the Harley.  Just makes me more determined to hold my baby up and keep the rubber side down!

Love it that hubby and I do this together!

Sunday, I rode in front of David to my work.  I have a 30 minute drive; 10 minutes through town, then 20 minutes up the narrow, 2 lane part of the scenic road Hwy 411.  He followed behind me to make sure I seemed "good", and when we pulled into my parking lot he just shook his head and said he was amazed.  He said other than my tendency to ride in the middle of my lane instead of 1 side or the other, there wasn't much to "correct".  I felt good.  A little bit tense at times, but I felt confident enough to give it a go!  And then ... the rain came.  All.  Week.  Long.  We were able to take a QUICK ride around the block one evening after I put the baby down, and it was actually a little discouraging.  My ride around my actual neighborhood did not feel good.  I felt shaky and "off".  I could feel my arms tensing again and wanting to fight against the handlebars.  Dang!

I love my bike.  Have I mentioned that?

The weekend was a total wash, as was Monday morning.  I was beginning to get what I'm told is PMS.  Parked motorcycle syndrome, hahahaha!  I harassed David to plan us a ride for Monday when I got off work, somewhere we could spend a few hours together.

The view from Foothills Parkway.  Spectacular!

We headed out on 411 towards 129 ... that's the official name of the Tail of the Dragon.  I started to get excited, but horribly nervous at the same time.  The Tail is notorious on my lady motorcycle boards I frequent.  Most recommend staying OFF until you have several year's experience under your belt.  The in-laws told us we were NOT to ride it until we had at minimum 6 months experience.  They told David even he should not tackle it.  As we got closer to the start of it ... we turned off on Foothills Parkway.  That's a LOVELY scenic road up on a curvy ridge overlooking the mountains.  I was literally smiling as I felt Khaleesi eat up the turns and curves of the road.  I practiced on the tighter hair pin type curves looking around the turn, then looking WAY down the road and finishing the turn without actually "looking" at the road.  That's hard to do, but it definitely works!  I felt amazing through the curves, concentrated on staying in the middle of the bike and letting her do most of the work.  We rode about 3 hours or so.  Did NOT do the Dragon.

Are we gonna do the Dragon?  Not tonight!

    FINALLY, Tuesday, I was ready to hit the road solo.  I prayed like crazy that my comfort level would come back.  I just reminded myself to get in the friction zone, and stay relaxed.  It worked!  By the time I got to work, I was feeling pretty good!  The ride home was AMAZING!  I rode Khaleesi again on Wednesday, and that desire to grit my teeth was finally gone.  I ride my bike the same way I drive my car; not trusting anyone around me to drive safely.  Constantly scanning, backing off the throttle when I see brake lights, and generally driving as though I'm invisible.  Wednesday after work, we again headed out 411 to 129.  This time, after we turned off just AFTER the Foothills Parkway turn, David asked me if I was ready to tame it.  I said my bike is named after the Mother of Dragons, I'd better be ready!  I will just say it.  I am DAMN proud of myself.  Not once did I come to a corner too hot, no shaky start/stops, no issues through the curves at ALL.  Didn't miss a shift or stall the bike ever.  My mantra of Slow, Look, Press, and Roll went through my head at every turn.  The speed limit is 30, dipping down to 15 on the hairpin U turns.  We kept it between 20 and 40 the entire road.  I rode my own ride and had the time of my life letting her lean through the curves and power out.  One photographer; I focused on my ride didn't look at him.  At then end, we pulled down into the Deal's Gap motorcycle resort and regrouped.  I was proud of David too.  He looked like a bold and confident badass rolling through the turns.  He took them with a little bit of speed, too!  I let him get out ahead a few times, but for the most part I kept up pretty well.  To be honest, the hardest part of the whole ride was pulling OUT of Deal's Gap!  It's a pretty gnarly hill rolling out of that parking lot; AND I had Khaleesi's kickstand sort of down in a hole.  It was hard to get her out of it!  But I did great, and the ride BACK up the Dragon I laid hard on the throttle rolling out of the turns and kept right on David's tail almost the whole time :D

Thanks to Killboy.com for the amazing Dragon taming pic!

Thursday was more storms, and this morning I rode my 3rd solo ride to work.  What a DIFFERENCE some saddle time makes.  I rocked it out.  No hesitation, no shakiness, and not so much as a foot stutter the entire road to work AND back home.  Tomorrow is epic.  Heading back to McCloud Mountain, this time for breakfast.  That road in is intense; it should be FUN on the bikes.  Will be touring through THREE state parks.  Should end up being about a 10-12 hour day, taking into account breaks and eating.  Can't wait!  So blessed and happy to be on this journey; I love the connection I feel to my husband.  What a difference being on the same page makes <3

All 3 of us, first ride on the Dragon with 2 wheels!

Khaleesi and Cheyenne feeling good!

My Love Affair

My love affair with Indian Motorcycles began shortly after we moved to TN.  It was round about September, and my father in law (FIL) finally got me up on a bike.  He had a 2000 Honda Valkyrie; HUGE bike.  In CA, I had finally brought myself around to thinking it would be pretty fun to own a Can Am Spyder some day.  There was an outfit that rented them, and David and I had thrown around the idea of indulging in that one weekend.

First time I sat on an Indian ... love ...

Some of you know, when David and I met, he got me into riding ATV's.  We both bought Honda quads, and rode EVERY weekend we got the chance to.  I got pretty bold and confident; even got a little cocky once and ended up breaking my collar bone.  Still didn't stop us from riding though!  My quad was a 'sport utility' with a manual transmission, but an automatic clutch.  Which meant I had to shift like normal, but I didn't have to worry about choking it ever :)  We had a LOT of fun riding, and then I got pregnant with Kody.  From that point on, we more or less quit riding :(  David wanted to buy a motorcycle when Kody was about 7, but I talked him out of that and into buying a truck to go pick up my new HORSE with.  Obviously, I had to sell the horse to move to Cali, and I began to get that itch again; to get out and feel the wind.

We were so positive we were going to buy our own, we'd already bought helmets!

So the FIL took me for my first ride, and I cannot even describe the thrill it gave me!  I was simultaneously thrilled and terrified.  I may have even whooped once or twice.  From that moment on, I have become hooked.  My MIL had David ride her Honda Shadow out to our house from GA, and then she left it for about 2 weeks.  I rode with David on her bike for the first time, and we just had a BLAST.  East TN is motorcycle country, and there are tiny back roads GALORE around here.  It's also Harley Davidson territory, big time.  We live about 2 mins away from a dealer, and we decided to take a ride up there.  The bike I fell in love with is a Heritage Softail Classic, but I could NOT imagine EVER riding one myself.  And sadly, David just didn't like the feel of the bike.

Gorgeous.  Just not for us.

We were out and about one day just riding to every dealership that sells motorcycles we could think of, so David could sit on as many bikes as possible so he could figure out what he wanted.  We purposely went to the Honda dealer in Knoxville, then looked up the road and realized there was an Indian dealer up there as well.  Neither of us knew much, or had even looked at Indian before, so we headed up the hill to take a look.  Wow.  The super nice sales guy gave us the grand speech on the Springfield even though we told him we were NOT in the market for a new bike, EVER, lol.  I just fell in love.  They are beautiful, classic bikes.  Graceful curves, sleek lines, and deep, V-twin sound.  No, you don't see the crazy variety with Indian motorcycles that you do with Harleys, but that doesn't bother me at all.  I saw the Scout, and at first glance, it was not first love.  She's a classic, graceful bike, but not the fully dressed chromed out cruisers I'd developed a taste for.  At the time, I had no real plans to get my motorcycle license.  I was a complete, total, 100% beginner.  Heck, I wasn't even accustomed to driving with a manual clutch!  The Springfield became my 'dream' bike for David and I, and then I sat on the Scout.  Holy cow.  She was everything Harley Davidson wasn't.  I began to see visions of ME driving that bike.  The Scout is certainly CAPABLE of riding 2-up, but she's really not meant for that purpose, so David never really looked at her, but she became a fixture in my mind.

My dream baby

Fast forward to about 4 weeks ago, and I actually rode her for the first time.  COMPLETELY different animal than the H-D Street 500 bikes we learned on.  David was sort of steering me towards one of those, and we half way looked at them in the dealership.  I just don't like the looks of them.  To me, the Street 500, the Street 750, and all other styles that resemble that look turn me off.  Just not my cup of tea!  The advantage, she was a fairly easy bike to ride.  Nice smooth clutch pull, low seat height, and low weight.  But the Scout ... holy cow, she's a Cadillac!  SO comfortable to hold up, comfortable seating position (100% different than the Street 500), and a ROCKET when the clutch is at the sweet spot.  Took me about 1 minute to get comfortable with the forward controls, and the rest is history!

Easy to learn on, not what I want to own.

Can't believe I actually own her now, I didn't even think I would get my LICENSE any time soon, much less have a brand new Indian Scout sitting in my garage.  Her engine is technically "bigger" than the Vulcan even though the Scout is smaller.  I can say I finally have my "pony", lol!!  My petite little powerhouse pony.  I'm an Indian fan for life; can't wait to buy David a Chieftan in a few years (we've completely bypassed the Springfield, thanks to the demo truck, lol) <3

Somebody pinch me!

Chieftan, just wants one without the ape hangers!

Indian Motorcycles Demo Truck

So, when I was searching for info on the Indian Demo Truck, there wasn't much info out there.  There were a few YouTube videos about some of the demo ride routes, but no other real information as to How. It. Works. which is what I like to KNOW in advance :)  So, just thought I'd blog about the day!

We got up there about 20 minutes before the event began.  Let me preface this by saying ... it was COLD this morning; low 40's.  The dealership was wide open, and the motorcycles were all up by the truck.  Such a cool and impressive setup, I LOVE it!

Everyone was very nice.  They directed us to the table in the back where we were able to go through the sign up/sign in process.  We got a few freebies as well!  Signed us up on the iPad, entered our info, clicked "Accept", and we were given cards with our electronic info that at the next event, all we have to do is scan them.  Requirements for the demo ride are a class "M" license, age 18 or over, long pants, closed toe shoe, and I believe a long sleeved shirt as well.  They had some helmets you could borrow if you needed to.  The words were, "You're responsible for yourself, we're responsible for the bikes".  There was no charge/fees of any sort, and there was no test to complete on your level of experience, lol.  They do NOT ask you for your insurance information!  I feel like there's a great bit of mis-information out there from people that are ASSuming, and haven't actually participated.

This one was set up for "extended reach", so I couldn't ride her :(

This morning, it was just me, David, one other guy, and the leader/sweeper.  Since I have zero road riding experience, I wanted to follow David AND be at the back of the line.  I was so nervous/excited/nervous, but David assured me I was ready.  He said the state of TN had declared me knowledgeable enough and competent enough to have my "M", so I was certainly capable.

As we headed out, I power walked through the turn which was guided by cones, and thank goodness there was a gentleman holding our lane for us.  The dealership is off a BUSY main hwy in Knoxville.  Then it was on the road!  David was right; I was 148% fine.  Going in a straight line on the hwy is the easy part.  Making the turns are intuitive and simple, especially with 22 years of experience driving cars.  I was worried I would have tunnel vision and not be able to focus on everything around me, but I found myself exhilarated but relaxed.  I remembered everything I had been taught about friction zone, looking ahead, looking up, and braking smoothly with both front and back.  I'd like to think I rocked it :D

David rode the Chieftan first, and he absolutely fell in love.  He didn't care as much for the Springfield as compared to the Vulcan; he actually liked his Vulcan better.  The Chieftan, however, he said he'd switch to.

The route took us 20 minutes in the morning and made a few right hand turns with a short trek up the Interstate.  By the afternoon, that route was taking 30 minutes due to all the traffic :(  SO glad I had the time early on to "warm up".  The Scout is an AMAZING bike for a novice.  I'm short, and I feel so comfortable holding her up at stops.  2 weeks ago, I just took her for slow parking lot maneuvers.  Today, I opened her up on the road.  VERY easy clutch pull, easy throttle engagement, smooth braking.  I was not on an ABS bike.  I love how I can feel when I'm down in first gear.  It helps that the readout on the bike also lets you know what gear you're in :)  However, once you pull the clutch in you just have to count, lol!  I definitely like windshield vs. no windshield.  I rode both the smaller engine Scout Sixty and the bigger engine Scout.  No discernible difference in handling; in fact, I preferred the Sixty because it had the windshield.  Going 80 mph on the interstate without one is NOT my cup of tea.  I did feel some movement from the wind on the interstate; I don't think I would enjoy a long, straight highway ride on the Scout.  The smaller backroads/curves are more where I will enjoy her.

I WILL own one, it's only a question of "when"?  David really enjoyed getting to ride several other models; he even tried one with apes!  Not his thing, lol.  We rode a total of 6 times.  By early afternoon, they were getting more crowded and the traffic around the dealership was becoming horrendous.  We headed out the long way home around Tellico Lake.  Gorgeous day!  Thanks to IMOK for the great time!  We look forward to doing the demo truck every time it rolls into anywhere CLOSE to town, haha! :D

The GORGEOUS new Chieftan Limited; it's already sold!

1st day of Spring

HOW is it end of March already?  Can't really believe it.  We've had a few fun day trips; GA several times for my birthday, a baby shower of one of my KIDS that I used to teach, and to buy our gorgeous bike!

Confession time; David has never had his class "M".   Not sure why; his reason is that he freezes up when he has to take a test, so he's put it off over the years.  Plus, to take the test at the DMV, you have to have a bike to take it on, and of course we have never owned a motorcycle.  I've been wanting him to sign up for an MSF course at our local H-D dealer, and when they offered a BOGO class just after Christmas, we signed up!  Yes ... we.  Me, who's only JUST ridden for the first time ever in October, and who's never picked her feet up as a driver.

Friday afternoon, I got a special "offer" to come out and sit on the bike we'd be testing with, and practice the throttle/clutch/shift on a bike strapped down to a dyna machine.  I jumped on that opportunity, and as I fired her up and pulled the throttle, I felt GREAT.  Easily shifted up and down, and never even got close to stalling out.  Left to go eat, then came back at 6 to begin the classroom work.  No surprise, our class was maxed out; 20 people.  Crazily enough to me, it was an even 10/10 split of guys/girls.  Big variation of guys that had ridden for 20 years w/ no license to other girls like me that had never sat on one to relative newbies wanting to brush up and earn the 'M'.

Shifting on the dyna machine

After soaking up as much book learning as I could take, we came back on Saturday morning ... in the rain.  I was almost crushed!  I hadn't slept well b/c I heard the rain and I was stressing out about it ... plus, it was cold.  We spent the morning trying to get through most of the remaining book work, then headed out to the 'range'.  All our bikes were identical black Street 500 bikes with orange crash guards on front/back/handlebars.  Me and my partner Kayla were given the "Short girl special" with a reduced reach seat!  We learned step by step how to mount, do a pre-start inspection list, and start the bikes.  Then we learned all about the "friction zone" and power walked our bikes back and forth the range after manually shoving them around in a U turn.  Holy sweat, Batman!  By the end of exercise 1, I was ditching my jacket and pullover and mad because I forgot my bandanna and my helmet was already wet and cold with sweat.

NO POWER, just feet

We were split in 2 groups of 10, and the exercises gradually increased from the power walk to learning how to weave through cones, how to up/down shift and brake smoothly, and how to stop in curves.  The first time I dropped the bike, I was on a slight hill, and grabbed the front brake a little bit with the handlebars turned and DOWN she went, just like that.  Apparently I fall off a motorcycle just like I fall off a horse; without letting go!  I pulled that bike ALL the way over.  All the protective pieces saved both the bike and myself, so other than sheer embarrassment, I was fine.  Was glad they made gloves a required piece of equipment, or else I would have had major palm road rash!

ATGATT

A FUN exercise was to get up in 2nd gear, and cruise around the perimeter of the range in a big oval, looking ahead to stay inside the cones, of course.  That, I was pretty good at.  Later, a few hours in, I dropped her again.  Not really sure how.  I was trying to turn at "barely moving" speed I think, and I mentally panicked and didn't trust either the bike or myself, and before I knew it, I was yet again staring at my motorcycle lying on her side.

Finished the book work, and went home to die  fall asleep.

Harley Street 500

Sunday was a quick review, then straight to the written exam.  After completing our 30 question test, it was back to the range!  First exercise was a tight perimeter turn from a stop, and a figure 8 inside a 20 x 60 rectangle.  Um, this exercise was a DISASTER for me!  I got worse and worse each time I did it until I finally dropped her hard core AGAIN on a right hand loop of the figure 8.  I wanted to cry in frustration, but I held it in and just kept pushing.  15 minutes later, I dropped her again, don't know HOW.  I pulled up to the end of the line and down she went.  I honestly wanted to cry; I was sore, sunburned, and dehydrated.  Every time I TRIED to make that sharp right had turn, I just mentally panicked and even though I was turning my head and looking ahead like a champ, my arms unconsciously straightened out those handlebars, and blech!  In order to complete the exercise without falling off AGAIN, by the end, I had to just give up and basically walk her around :(

Conquering the figure 8

We had our break as group 2 took over, and I took a much needed water break.  Chuck, one of our instructors, told me exactly what I KNEW.  Everything I was doing was exactly right.  I was in the friction zone, my eyes were up, my head was turning, posture good ... I just needed to let that clutch out a little more, get a LITTLE more speed, and TRUST THE BIKE.  Hubs gave me a little pep talk, I got out of my head, and I sat and watched group 2.  Some people honestly "cheated" by not even trying to go inside the cones.  It frustrated me because I WENT for it, and went down trying to do it right, but people that didn't try to do it right didn't lay the bike down because they didn't push the limits.  Hubs said it was on them, worry about my own ride.  Sadly, my riding partner dropped our poor little bike about 3 more times, the last time breaking her.  They had to wheel her away and bring out a new one; this one was a satin black vs. the shiny black.  Kayla tried her heart out, and laid down the new bike as well.  At the end of that hell exercise, my partner was done.  She had strained her shoulder and decided to call it a day.  We all gave her words of encouragement and hugs and off she went.
With exercise 2, I decided to "bond" with the new bike, and decided the "old" one was cursed.  I named her 'Scarlett', and rubbed the gas tank every time I stopped, lol.  The next exercise was a braking one, which I was good at.  I nailed the quick stop, never skidding, and using both brakes, putting my left foot down first.  We then moved to a FUN alternating circuit of speeding up, braking for a curve, then following a "peanut" shaped path thru cones, practicing going where we looked.  Supposed to be done in 2nd gear.  We just alternated back and forth, practicing merging and judging "gaps".  Loved that one, never missed a cone!  Practiced brake smoothly, look thru the turn, roll on the throttle, and press into the different curves.  Heck, just coming to the end of the lineup was a chance to practice brake and slow to the friction zone, putting down left foot first.  When I watched group 2, I saw a LOT of scary slam on the brake, awkward stops at the end of the line.  A few bikes fell down during that time, too.  Lots of missed cones thru the curves, and lots of bikes in 1st gear instead of 2nd.

My dream bike

We did one more "new" exercise, the swerve.  As the instructors explained, then demonstrated, David leaned over and whispered to me I had this.  I understood he thought I might overthink this one; I had butterflies, but I shrugged them off and said I could rock this.  And sure enough, after 2 or 3 passes thru the swerve, the "meanest" instructor, the one that I fell next to EVERY time, the one that never smiles, said to me, "Now that you've got down the technique, try it in 2nd gear".  Woo Hoo, HUGE compliment!  I just kept my eyes up, looked for my targets, pressed into the swerve, and braked smoothly.

Finally, it was "practice" time.  ANOTHER figure 8 (DAMN, are you KIDDING ME???), some weave cones (from a STOP), and tight corner (FROM A STOP) a swerve and a brake.  I decided to do it like the ones that didn't push so hard.  I patted Scarlett's tank, breathed deep, and just DID it.  I put my feet down a few times, I stopped dead once or twice, but I kicked that figure 8's A$$.  Nailed the weave cones, stuck my foot out once or twice during the corner from a stop, but nailed the brake every time :)

Testing out the Indian Springfield!

Next was test time.  5 exercises.  #1; a right hand corner from a stop, enter the rectangle, perform a left hand U turn inside the cones, stop w/ tire inside the white box.  No demonstration, just a verbal direction.  One shot, we were all lined up one behind the other.  Still in our 2 groups.  Gave Scarlett another rub, said a quick prayer, and NAILED it.  Pulled up to the right corner, got in the friction zone before moving (thanks to my friend for that little reminder!), eyes up and looking diagonally across the rectangle to the cones.  Started my U turn, eyes UP, kept the throttle open and "feathered" the clutch.  Made myself drag the rear brake, completed the turn, and stopped with my tire in the box.  Drove to the end of the line, got off Scarlett, and jumped up and down.  High fives everywhere, then watched group 2.

Exercise 2 was a straight up pull to the start line, stop, drive through the weave cones and stop with tire in the box. I felt good; thought maybe a ran over a cone, but I knew I stayed in the stop box.  Feet stayed up.  Hubs said I completely missed the cone, didn't run over it.  I shook it off, I knew I'd still done well.

Exercise 3 was the straight line brake.  We had to get up to 20 mph, then stop as quickly as possible.  Easy, nailed it!

Exercise 4 was the swerve.  We had to get up to speed, make a right hand swerve, and stop just past a cone as quickly as possible.  Nailed that one too, no problems.

Final exercise was to accelerate to an appropriate curve speed, shift up to 2nd on the straightaway, brake to an appropriate speed for all curves, make the corner, hit the cone gate, and come to a smooth stop.  I nailed that one too, just looked where I was going, remembered to use rear brake first, downshifted to first, and kept handlebars STRAIGHT when using the front brake.

FUN ride with my Love

It was over!  I KNEW I had done well, it felt so great to complete the exercises and not drop the bike over something stupid.  During the test, lay down the bike at ALL, automatic fail.  I'm pleased to say that while all 19 of us were NOT perfect, no one laid the bike down!  Our instructor took the group photo and said we ALL had passed.  I found out me and one other person made a perfect score on the written, and my ONLY penalty points were for that dang missed weave cone.  Just 3 points; and we could get up to 16 and still pass (admittedly a little scary).  I would recommend EVERONE  take an MSF course, it was very educational and invaluable to my learning.  I'm SO glad I didn't have to "self teach", or to learn from the hubs.  No offense to him at ALL, he can just get a little frustrated with me if I'm not "listening" to him (when it's really just an inability to duplicate).  The instructors NEVER got mad or frustrated, even when they were picking up my bike for the 4th time.  Just made sure I was ok, and asked if I wanted to continue.

Even the baby is HOOKED

I don't feel ready yet to get on the open road because I don't have my own bike.  "Ours" is a Vulcan 900, giant chromed out 900 lb monster, and I do NOT want to risk dropping her.  So for now, I just ride on the back until I find something I can ride.  We did go out to the Indian dealership yesterday, and they said we could take out anything we wanted. David took a Scout out, and came back with a HUGE grin on his face, said it had some POWER.  The Scout 60, which is smaller, actually had a passenger seat so the salesman said both of us could ride that one.  We went up to a church parking lot, and he let me get in the driver's seat so I could feel it.  Just BARELY giving it throttle, I could feel that baby want to drag me forward.  I walked her around once in the corner, picked my feet up down a slow straightaway, then did big figure 8's, conquering that right turn demon I have.  She felt AMAZING, I can't WAIT to get one.  They're still too pricey right now; maybe by next spring I can find one used for less than 10 grand.  So excited to be starting our motorcycle journey; it's so much better for us than the horse journey because horses are all about ME.  They're about leaving my family for an entire weekend, spending tons of money on shoes and accessories and board and shows and gas and trailers and ... the list goes on and on.  Steel horses are about bonding with my husband, and one day my son too once he learns to ride.  Our time is limited since we DO have a 1 year old, but with family that also rides, we will be able to work that out.  I look forward to chronicling our rides!  So much freedom and excitement; I'm HOOKED :D

19 newly licensed riders!