Not talking about first gear on the CTX - there is just one first gear, even though the Dual Clutch Transmission technology has the bike in first and second gear at the same time, with the dual clutch ready to shift in a heartbeat. Oops, I digressed again. But, did I mention how smooth that transmission is as I pull away from a stop? Seriously smooth. Really.
Each time I ride the bike is a pleasure, even in the heat and humidity. Around here, I don't generally go far - just enough of a ride to hold me over until we can get to some good riding. I am so looking forward to that. My morning rides provide another benefit: getting used to the bike; keeping my butt and reflexes in shape.
This morning, I experienced two firsts, neither good. One was a close encounter with a seagull as I was riding across the causeway. In a discussion on a scooter forum, where I mentioned the "brush" with the turkey vulture, one of the participants there told about hitting a seagull once. Despite living in a sub-tropical climate along the coast, where seagulls are as thick as rats in New York City, I have never hit a seagull. Until this morning.
The Queen Isabela Causeway creates air disturbances for flying birds. There are flashing lights at either end of the causeway alerting motorists to a 45mph speed limit (as opposed to the 55mph speed limit that many ignore) if conditions are right that it would create a problem for pelicans flying around the causeway. You can see it as they glide beyond the side railing on the causeway, then drop a couple feet. I hadn't noticed it so much with seagulls until today. One of them brushed my helmet - not a thump, but I felt it. And, yes, I did check my helmet when I got home to see if that encounter "scared the shit" out of the seagull... no. It did make my ass pucker as I ducked as much as one can while riding.
The other first: a woman on an electric stand-up scooter blew through a stop sign. We both hit our brakes, with the closing distance between us winding up being closer than I cared to see. There was a car at the stop sign on the side street, and this woman - not a kid, a grown ass woman - went around it to run the stop sign. I didn't see her until she got beyond the front of the car. Just another example of people leaving their brains at home when they come to the beach.
Other than that, a lovely ride. Warm and humid, but very light breeze... I make my own breeze on the bike.
2 comments:
I once hit a Canada goose while on the Seward Highway in Anchorage, riding on my Gold Wing. My windshield caught it fairly square on but suffered no real damage. (From the impact, I had expected it to shatter or at least crack). I had to pick goose feathers out of the edge trim, and rinse off some "debris" - apparently the goose was scared too. It took me a few deep breaths to calm down at the first traffic light rolling into town. I did not need caffeine with the Gold Wing Club breakfast that we were riding to that morning, however. I was already WIDE awake.
I understand the goose's perspective: a big guy on a Goldwing about to make impact is gonna spoil your day! ;-)
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