Yes Emily

Yes Emily, girls can ride motorcycles!


Monday, September 2, 2013

...And That's How I Met My Next Door Neighbor

A shiny bike is a happy bike and I thought the Star was happy until a couple of weeks ago when Ken asked why I hadn't shined up the wheels. Good question. I never thought about the wheels. He was right, they were disgusting, so this was the day to rectify. It was a beautiful day for a short ride to town to buy a bike load of buffing, polishing and shining products, the day to go all the way!

I was set on the drive: the hose was on, the S100 total cycle cleaner in hand. I was armed with cotton cloths, microfiber clothes, glass cleaning shop towels, AutoGlym Fast Glass and AutoGlym Metal Polish (for brilliant lustre and protection for all types of polishable metal - wheels look out).


I worked up a sweat squirting, spraying, rubbing, rinsing, spraying, rinsing and rubbing. I washed and polished every square centimeter of motorcycle ... then it was time for the wheels (one side note here - who the hell invented spoked wheels?) I was focused, the end goal was in sight. One small dab of AutoGlym (by the way, their idea of reasonable pressure and mine are not exactly the same - more sweat) and the chrome on the wheel began to reflect the sunlight like it hadn't done in years - I was on a mission ... Kids, do not do this at home!

So intent on polishing the chrome on the front wheel I didn't notice all the rinsing had softened the gravel driveway, not unlike a heavy spring rain. I hadn't put the kick stand plate down nor had I left the Star in gear ... and ... you know where this story is headed. That's when I noticed the bike start to move ever so slightly but by the time I reacted it was to watch the kickstand fold back in slow motion and to see 510 pounds of motorcycle fall over, ever so slowly, ever so gently - until it was lying flat on its side (TU would be the local expression.)

Flat down on the gear side, the kickstand side and with a full tank of gas, wearing sandals on a gravel drive, no time for pictures, only time to call for reinforcements.  And that's how I got to meet my new next door neighbors. (Thanks guys - come on over for a glass of wine sometime!)

Another lesson learned!

(photo compliments of Wikipedia)

25 comments:

  1. Poor bike, poor you! I can feel your pain all the way across the pond! Hope there are no scratches!

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    1. No harm done, just dirt to dust off ... those big old saggy saddle bags act like motorcycle air bags (great idea, I should have them inflated.)

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  2. Damn damn, double damn. Gotta hate it when that happens. I've only ever had the kickstand slide out on my TU 250 but I was close enough to stop it.

    But the upside is the bike is clean and you got to meet the neighbors.

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    1. Unfortunately my cat-like reflexes were not up to par, either that or it didn't really dawn on me what was happening until a moment too late!

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  3. It's a sickening feeling watching the bike go over...

    Not too much damage?

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    1. No damage - just additional dirt dirt to remove.

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  4. I'm sorry to hear that your bike decided to take a nap. I hope all is well and no damage was done. I really hate it when they go TU! BTDTx2! Both times little scars where left on the plastic as a reminder. Glad you had help with the lifting.

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    1. Don't you just hate a narcoleptic motorcycle! No damage done, just dirt (more dirt!)
      Glad I had help too. When I was looking for pictures to tell the story with my search led me to some interesting looking bike lifting tools....hum!

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  5. Now, there's a new one... I haven't cleaned my scoot since I got it end of May... I thought it's enough to ride in the rain ;-) and bonus it doesn't have shiny parts.

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    1. Curse those shiny parts! They're pretty, as long as you don't ride the bike!

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  6. oh my!!! fortunately you were ok. everything else can be fixed. :)

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    1. I am totally fine ... I sometimes think it's good to keep the scars on the machine, to remind me of the mistakes I've made so I don't make them again.

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  7. That'll teach you to clean your bike again....

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    1. The wheels at least can wait another four years before I clean them. Nasty job.

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  8. Karen, not funny, but I appreciate the humour of your account. Any blemishes on the bike?

    When I saw the picture I was wondering if your neighbor piloted vintage aircraft and if you met him when he had to ditch in the lake.

    When I started reading I thought that you might have tried to rinse the bike in a little too much water (the lake).

    I hope that all it adds up to is an interesting post of an embarrassing moment.

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    1. Hard to find pictures of a bike innocently napping on ones driveway. If I'd been thinking, I could have used the cell phone to snap at least one pic ... what am I saying, if I'd been thinking I would have had a plate under the stand and left it in gear.

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  9. Karen:

    OH NO ! don't tell me . . .

    hope all is okay with your *Star

    bob
    Riding the Wet Coast

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    1. Star is fine - sparkling clean and waiting, just waiting.

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  10. And Ron ... guess I just learn things the hard way, why is it each little lesson ends up with a motorcycle lying TU someplace?

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  11. By the way, I washed and polished my scoot today, and it's your fault. I felt guilty. Well, I didn't drop it, which is probably a good thing although it would have been nice to meet a neighbour to chat with ;-)

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    1. Sonja, I'm fairly certain there are better ways to meet the neighbors - But glad you've put a smile on Alonzo's clean scooter face!

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  12. Glad to hear that no damage was done. I've had a couple go over and you have to be careful; you can hurt yourself 'rescuing' them rather than just letting them continue on.

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    1. Coop somehow it was all over before my brain processed what was happening. I just sat, head bowed over my work, polish cloth in one hand, bottle of polish in the other, stunned look on my face (I'm sure - there were no witnesses.) Perhaps the glare of the sun off the chrome put me in some sort of trance.

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  13. I hate it when my bike naps like that!

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