First Commute

I rode in to work today. I hadn't really thought about it ahead of time, but the sun was out, there was only a few clouds, and no falling rain, so I decided that it would be my only opportunity to ride this week as I am leaving for a trip to Arizona on Friday and won't be back until Tuesday evening.

I geared up remembering AGATT, and eased the bike out of the garage. My backpack with all my work gear fit easily into the top case which was great. It meant that I could easily use the scooter for commuting without having to downsize my backpack.  I set the parking brake, started the engine to let it warm up (I've still got several hundred miles left on the break-in period), and just as I was putting on my helmet, my daughter drove up blocking the entire end of the driveway.  I had set the bike at a bit of an angle when I rolled it out of the garage and she didn't give me any extra room to maneuver as I left.

The ride to work was fun, but cool. I didn't mess with the hydraulic locks for the front wheels, instead I focused on familiarizing myself with the bike's weight and balance at each of the stops. Later on, when I'm much more familiar with the bike and it's low speed attributes, I'll use the hydraulic locks for stops.  I varied speeds considerably as suggested, but the bike easily handled the commute both to work and back to home. It will be much nicer when the windshield is installed though on Wednesday thought.

I took a different (and longer) route home than normal so I could bring the bike up to a higher speed to learn more about the handling capabilities. I hit at least 60 mph on the way home with plenty of throttle left in reserve. The mirrors gave me good rearview vision, and the bike was stable and comfortable (except for the cool wind) even on rough patches of the road.

Of course, when I got home, the entrance to both garages were blocked by Wanda's and Talitha's vehicles. So, I had to park the bike at the curve, set the brake, then get Talitha to come move her mother's car so I could get the bike in the garage. One thing I learned from this is that the scooter is quite cumbersome to maneuver a very low speeds and with a tight turning radius. I'll need to consider that for future rides.

This weekend is supposed to be sunny and warmer, but I will be in Arizona for a business trip and won't get the chance to ride. That's quite alright, though, as I will get an opportunity to visit with my youngest granddaughter whom I haven't seen since December.  I'm really looking forward to that.