This morning I woke up early and went for a fun motorcycle ride. First, I went to Lime Creek Road which is a twisty two-lane route that is one of the better ones in the area for motorcyclists. Even though it is very close to where I live, I have only ridden it a couple of times, but I highly recommend this route!
After that, I rode around downtown Austin before stopping for coffee at Sa-Ten, and then headed back home. A fun morning!
Please check out the video I made of the Lime Creek Road portion of the ride:
This morning I went with Kiki, my 2007 BMW F650 GS motorbike, on a ride to downtown Austin. I wanted to leave early to beat the traffic, but unfortunately got a late start at 9am. When we arrived downtown, there were so many cars. It’s no fun to be stuck in stop-and-go traffic on a motorcycle.
However, it was pretty cool to see so many people out and about having a good time. When I rode up Congress Avenue towards the capitol, I saw lots of tourists and it made me feel pretty good knowing they are visiting at the perfect time of year when the weather is not too hot. And of course us locals really enjoy it too!
I made a video of the ride, so if you have spare time, please watch 🙏 (at the end of this blog post)
This morning I went on an old-fashioned cruise through the Texas Hill Country. We live close to a popular route for motorcyclists: RM 1431. The best stretch winds from Cedar Park to Marble Falls, filled with long sweepers, and many ups and downs. There are only a couple sharper bends, but nothing I’d call a twisty, and as long as you use the speed warning signs as your cue, you’ll be fine. In fact, I’d say the lowest your speedometer would drop to is maybe 45 mph / 72 kph, and I tend to ride conservatively.
I’ve ridden RM (Ranch-to-Market) 1431 many times, and it’s always really fun. It’s nice to just cruise at a leisurely pace or you can twist the wrist a bit and see what your motorbike can do. There are even several slow-vehicle passing sections too which can be helpful.
I prefer to ride in the early morning when there are barely any cars. On the way to Marble falls at 7:30 am, there were only a handful of other motorists, but on the way home, I saw a lot more cars and motorcycles heading in the other direction. So if you’re like me and prefer the open road, head out early!
Please check out the POV videos I recorded on the ride:
I hope you had a nice day!
I hope you had a great day!
Photo info: Apple iPhone 12 mini, 4.2mm, f/1.6, 1/200 sec, ISO32 “Kiki” Cedar Park, 2021
Photo info: motorola moto g(6), 3.95mm, f/1.8, 1/190 sec, ISO100 “Inspection” Cedar Park, 2021
Today I took Kiki (my motorbike) to get its annual safety inspection. Truth be told, I don’t always do this every year, and as such, the registration lapses and I can’t renew it online. So once again, I have to go in-person to the county office to renew the registration. I’m too lazy!
Anyways, the inspection is cheap (US $7) and the guys at the shop are laid-back and friendly. Some of them also ride motorcycles, so there’s a nice kinship and the inspection always goes smoothly. 😄
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/4, 1/1500 sec, ISO200 “Kiki” Cedar Park, 2021
I spent some time on my motorcycle practicing u-turns this afternoon, and I made good progress. U-turns are a source of anxiety for many riders, myself included, so it’s good to build confidence, and practice is the only way to get better.
Not only did I improve a lot today, but I realized that successfully executing a smooth, tight u-turn can be really satisfying and fun!
By the way, if you want to see motorbiking blog posts, I have another blog dedicated to it: Motofuji.net. Hope to see you there!
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