Grand Canyon Ride

Took a ride out to the Grand Canyon on the 21st - my birthday!

My longest ride yet. About 4 hours total, just over 200 miles. Fairly chilly on the way out, but perfect coming back. There was a particularly good 20 mile section on 64 in the sandstone where it warmed up and I really enjoyed myself.

This is the closest I could get it to the edge of the canyon.

Bike performed great - no issues at all. I have since replaced the front brake pads, which are doing well. It may want a new chain though. I don't have any idea how old the current one is and it's got a fairly significant difference in tightness between two points. Discovered this while attempting to tighten the chain, which was probably just fine where it was. Oh well!
My research indicates that this is due to wear and that it probably wants a new one. Damn shame. Depending on how the sprockets look, I may replace those as well.

Post coming soon about the front brake job.

FREEDOM!

Brake rebuild + control lever replacement

As previously mentioned, I knew the brakes on this bike needed some work. My buddy Amanda and I Sat down for a couple hours and got to it. We learned how to take apart the front brakes from a lovely YouTube video. It was made by a dude who Amanda and I affectionately call "bubba" because ... well when he talks you can't help but think he sounds like a "bubba." No idea what his real name is, but the video he puts together is both informative and hilarious. All school should be like this.

Thanks, Bubba.

Unfortunately, the parts I got from my local motorsports store were WRONG. That is, they gave me the wrong brake pads. The ones currently in the bike are EBC FA45. The ones I got are different. Shame.

We also replaced the control levers: front brake and clutch.
These are black and whole instead of chrome and broken (old levers pictured below)

In the process of these repairs, whatever was ailing the front brakes seems to have disappeared. They are now SUPER responsive! Great. Now I know how to replace the pads when they go out, and the ones I have seem to work. Will confirm this with a ride when the rain/snow/wind has subsided. Flagstaff spring is brutal for motorcycling.

Overall, very happy with this round of repairs!

Next up: tightening the chain and probably and oil change before too long.

Freedom

I am quickly coming to realize that this bike represents not only a new kind of freedom, but a new way to interact with that freedom.

On occasion, I break out my skid-lid helmet. I know a lot of people say it sucks for protection. Fine. It's probably better than nothing and it lets me really interact with my surroundings. I can hear and feel the wind on my face. It's fantastic. Definitely colder than the full-face helmet, but more fun too.

This freedom is exactly what I was after when I bought the bike. So far I am loving it.

On a pullout on Lake Mary Road.

I have yet to do work on the brakes. Will get there, I'm sure. I hear one of the shops in town probably carries brake pads for this bike. 

Until then, I am learning what stopping distance I need and experimenting with what the bike can and cannot do comfortably. So far it is performing admirably.