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!
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 19mm, f/4, 1/1400 sec, ISO200 “Kiki” Cedar Park, 2020
Today I have the day off from work (actually the whole week!) so I decided to have a bit of fun riding my motorcycle around. Motorcycling is an intense experience, where all five senses are on overload. But I also spent some time practicing skills that need some work: u-turns at full lock. For these exercises, I went to the elementary school’s parking lot, which is perfect because I can use the parking space markers to gauge my progress.
My goal is to comfortably make u-turns in either direction, with the handlebars at their maximum position (full lock). The correct way to do this is to look at where you want to go (way over your shoulder), then turn the handlebars and initiate the turn. The trick is to keep the proper speed where you are slow enough that you can keep the handlebars at full lock, but with enough speed that you can lean over without dropping the bike. The secret is to use clutch control while revving the engine a bit to avoid stalling. If you are sensing that you are falling over, then you need to let out the clutch and let the engine power bring you up again. But not too much that you come out of the tight turn.
It’s a real skill to do this well, and only practice will allow you build up the muscle memory to feather the clutch to adjust the power without consciously thinking about it. It’s my one big apprehension when riding, so it’s worthwhile to take the time to make some progress! And even if I feel like I didn’t do such a good job with my skill training, I know that it is progress towards getting better!
In the afternoon, I went for a nice bicycle ride to relax a bit. Bicycling is a wonderful activity. Super fun and good exercise! Plus you can clear your mind and see some great sights. I always feel great after a ride, even if it is just around the block to pick up the mail, but it’s a real treat when the route takes me to see sights like this:
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 19mm, f/7.1, 1/600 sec, ISO200 “Mango” Cedar Park, 2020
Photo info: motorola moto g(6), 3.95mm, f/1.8, 1/60 sec, ISO111 “Maintenance” Cedar Park, 2020
Today was another maintenance day for Kiki! A quick trip to Walmart to pick up some motor oil, coolant, and distilled water and I was all set for a couple hours of motorcycle work.
Including last night’s work, here’s what I completed:
Changing the oil and coolant is not difficult, but it’s a bit messy and more complicated that it should be. Did you know that BMW stands for “Bikes Made Weird”? I can attest! 😄
Ready to vroom-vroom! 🚀
Photo info: motorola moto g(6), 3.95mm, f/1.8, 1/40 sec, ISO112 “Kiki” Cedar Park, 2020
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I use a Fujifilm X-series camera for most of the photos on this site and my Instagram. Why not pick one up for yourself?
