Tag: Kiki

Motoring

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"Motorized Fun" Cedar Park, 2017
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/5.6, 1/280 sec, ISO200
 “Motorized Fun” Cedar Park, 2017

こんばんは。How’s it going?

Today I was rearranging things in the garage in order to get the Christmas decorations out and I had my motorcycle “Kiki” parked where we usually have the Prius. It looked so nice and the weather was perfect, so of course, I had to go out for a ride. It felt so great to be out in the warm Texas breeze (it was in the high 70s today) flying along.

These days I enjoy driving the Crosstrek, which is so much more fun than the Odyssey was, but the motorcycle is light years ahead of both. The acceleration, view, contact with the elements, and lean angle are amazing sensations that a car just cannot give. I know there are many cars that are faster than my motorbike (which is not that quick compared to a sport bike), but a quick 0-60 while strapped into a chair that is enclosed in a cage just can’t be the same as sitting on top of a hot engine, zooming in mid-air, while the world leans to the side. For adrenaline and fun, a motorcycle is the way to go. For comfort, convenience, and practicality? A car for sure. I love them both!

If you are interested in reading some of my motorbiking posts, please check out my other blog, Motofuji.net.

I hope you had a fun Saturday!

またね～

Night Ride

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"Dashboard?" Cedar Park, 2017
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/2, 1/100 sec, ISO640
 “Dashboard?” Cedar Park, 2017

こんばんは！How’s it going?

Tonight I rode my motorbike 🏍 around the neighborhood and stopped by the gas station. ⛽ For some reason, I thought the fuel tank was almost empty but when I filled up, it only took .6 gallons and the gas was right at the opening. I’m not sure how I got confused by it.

"Fuel Stop" Cedar Park, 2017
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/2, 1/100 sec, ISO1000
 “Fuel Stop” Cedar Park, 2017

But whatever. I then rode around some more, which is totally fun at night, but it’s also very dangerous in this part of Texas because there are so many deer that come out in the evening. So it’s important to have a finger or two around the brake lever when going past the forests.

I love my bike so much. It’s so nimble and easy to ride. It’s relatively small as far as dual-sport bikes go, but for a little guy like me, the F650 GS is pretty heavy. All that weight disappears like magic though once you are moving. Riding a motorcycle is so liberating… you feel so free. In reality, you are going the same speed and places as cars but since you are not trapped inside a steel cage, it feels like you are flying. A truly incredible feeling. I love it!!! 💖

This video for the Yamaha SR400 is one of my favorites. It’s a little cheesy, but it kind of gets at what is great about riding a motorbike.

I hope you had a nice Friday!

おやすみなさい！

– B Barron Fujimoto

Getaway Vehicles

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"Colorful Motorbike" Cedar Park, 2016
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/3.2, 1/100 sec, ISO1600
 “Colorful Motorbike” Cedar Park, 2016

こんばんは！How’s it going?

Today’s photo is of my motorcycle, which is set up as a long-distance mile-eater. If you want to read more about it, you can check out my other blog. But after I took the photo, I started thinking about what kind of vehicles I like, and why.

As someone who loves to travel, I love vehicles that have a go-anywhere, self-contained feeling.

For instance, one of my dream cars when I was younger was a Toyota Townace 4×4 Van. They were so bizarre but I thought they were really cool. Plus, it would make an awesome camper. Pair that with Toyota dependability and it seemed like a perfect vehicle.

I still want something like that to go camping in! Long road-trips are so fun. I love them.

Right now, I drive a Honda Minivan, which is excellent. It is so versatile and can hold a ton of stuff, so it is great for camping. But it doesn’t have that walk-in feeling like a VW camper or full-size van. It’s kind of just a big car. Also, it only gets 20mpg. 😒

In the ’90s I had a really fun vehicle – a Toyota 4×4 truck. That was an awesome vehicle for camping and getting to those primitive sites. We’d take it off-road on some fairly gnarly trails, with the bed filled with camping gear. That’s another vehicle I’d consider buying again, but the fuel economy just sucks… even worse than the van.

Anyways, back to my motorcycle… it sort of fits the bill because it’s set up to go off-road (although it’s pretty heavy), can travel long-distances (I’ve traveled out of Texas on it), and gets great gas mileage. On the downside, the comfort level is lacking… especially in the Texas heat.

I guess there isn’t a perfect vehicle out there for me at the moment, so I’ll stick with the two extremes… a large car and a small motorbike. Maybe one day a hybrid 4×4 van will come along. Until then, though, I’ll just have to dream about it. 😄

おやすみなさい！

– B Barron Fujimoto

End of the Weekend Ride

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こんばんは！

How’s it going? Did you have a nice first weekend of 2016?

I’m sad to see the long weekend (and holiday-time) come to an end. Honestly, I am not looking forward to work… but I am sure I am not alone on that one!  😜 Today was another relaxing day spent at home with the family, but I did get out to ride my motorcycle for a little while this afternoon. It was a lot of fun, even if I only had a short while to ride.

Now that it is the new year, I should do some maintenance on the bike, including changing the brake fluid and engine oil. I also should replace a couple of the dashboard bulbs that have burnt out. All-in-all, my motorcycle has been super-reliable and one of the highlights of my life. Every time I go for a ride, I’ve had fun. It’s a real sense of freedom, riding a motorbike! I highly recommend it. 👍

By the way, I have another blog devoted to riding my motorbike, although I haven’t updated it since last year. But please take a look if you are interested!

"Filling Up" USA. Texas. Cedar Park. 2016.
Photo info: Motorola XT1064, 3.54mm, f/2, 1/30 sec, ISO80
 “Filling Up” USA. Texas. Cedar Park. 2016.