Lucky-Bunny: The revival!

Oh my gosh! It has been forever since I posted anything related to riding Lucky-Bunny.

This shall not stand!

Okay, well, I still love riding her but, with all the other things going on in the house and life, I took most of the winter off. I’m not a super confident highway rider. Every time I pass a weaving semi-truck or a Prius driver more concerned with their cellphone than the road I get a little shiver down my back knowing that these folks could easily kill me. Since the majority of my commute was high-traffic and high-speed – I’d get a lot of those little shivers and eventually feel pretty uncomfortable riding to and from work. Nearly every day I pass a car accident…granted there are a lot of drivers on the road so there is bound to be a higher percentage of accidents and statistically I’m just one of a million riders on I-5…but statistics can be made to say anything and statistically I ride at the most dangerous times of day (to/from work) and statistically I’m more likely to be injured in an accident than the driver of a car or truck would be, and statistically I’m lucky – that counts for good and bad luck.

So, over the winter, Lucky Bunny stayed in the garage and kept company with D’s bikes, the vacuum, and the canned goods.

In the spring I wanted to get the bike professionally looked over, again, safety first, before really going out for any long rides. My job, and therefore my commute, changed, so I did a couple runs in my car to check different paths of commute and decided on one that didn’t have any highway travel. I like twisty roads, little jumps, passing by pretty gardens, passing places that smell delicious and going along paths that have a great view – I don’t like going 80 MPH trying to dodge cars who merge into me without looking.

Happily, I can now take the scenic route!

Lucky Bunny and I are out riding a lot more and just having fun.

I’ve also been adding more stickers to the bottom half of my topcase. Unlike the bike itself, the topcase doesn’t have to be limited to MLP or Sailor Moon related stickers. I have really liked the staying power and bold colors of Enfu.

https://enfu.com/stickers/

They have held up really well! I ran into their booth at Sakuracon and my only issue was making decisions on which stickers to buy! I decided on these two…so now, if you are driving around Seattle and see a motorbike decorated in waffle-fish or glitter sprinkle cupcakes…you know who is riding! J

Motorcycle Commuting

Finally started commuting by motorcycle!

I used to 2-wheel commute when I worked closer to home - but then my commute grew to 30 minutes by highway, not including getting through the city to even get to the highway, and so I stopped taking two wheels.

Eventually though - Hubs needed the car more than I did and I had to start taking the bike. I ride a Honda CB500 XA and it is the perfect bike, not too short, not too tall, oomph enough to get me around, and cheap enough that I could actually afford it (sorry BMW). D rode with me a few times on the weekend back and forth to work just so I could get a feel for the route without being alone.

Surprising things to know-

• Since traffic is so horribly bad on I-5 returning into the city at rush hour - I rarely get over 50 mph. That used to really bother me in a car, but on the bike it is just enough to get a good breeze through my gear and take in the scenery.
• Since I have to leave a little early in order to get to work with enough time to change and finish / fix my hair and makeup - I skip the worst of the rush hour traffic in the morning.
• The added height allows me to see further ahead the accidents I'm coming up on and gives me extra time to break.
• People give me more room than I thought.
• I can take the HOV lanes.
• Since I'm not going out in full gear at noon to sit in lunch rush traffic - I save money and calories by bringing lunch more often.

As I am going from biker chick to office chic - I've built up a little kit and a routine to help make the transition.

First - In the evening I pack up my clothes for the next day and set out some casual comfy clothes to travel in. Sweats, T shirt - whatever I walk the dogs in, that's what I wear while riding.

Next, I make sure I have a lunch packed...not leaving the office for a drive on my break!

In the morning - I part my hair opposite of where I normally part it and put on a dew rag. Seriously, the dew rag is the answer to how to ride without getting 'motorcycle hair.' They are more easily washable than removing helmet pads, and they don't have to look like you belong with the Saints N Sinners.


Dew-it!

Then I get ready in the morning as usual - dogs, purse, all that jazz. I skip foundation and just do eye makeup and tinted SPF gloss. Remember to get out the door just a little bit earlier so you can do the rest at work.

I pack up my purse, work shoes, change of clothes, and lunch into a large messenger bag and gear-up!

Gear Round Up!

Jacket - I'm still wearing my Firstgear TPG jacket with the d30 armor. It may be too hot for mid-summer, but I love it for fall, winter, and spring.

Pants - I'm using Joe Rocket Ballistic 7.0 Pants which I love because of the adjustable hem (shorty!) and the double zippers on the side for more air flow.

Boots - TCX Waterproof..not sure of the model name - it rubbed off - but the boots themselves are comfy and keep my toes dry and have ankle and shin guards.

Gloves - Scorpion EXO Coolhand II and are my most comfortable gloves...although I do wonder about how much protection they offer...the fabric sticks to the Velcro snaps and has begun to fray a bit... may be time for a new pair...

Helmet - HJC SY-Max Modular with sun visor. Great helmet - very light for a modular, but could use more / better venting.

Misc - cooling neck wrap, assorted dew rags and bandannas

Biker Chick to Office Chic - My Makeup Gear Bag

• Bare Minerals SPF matte foundation powder. This clicks shut so you don't get powder everywhere. You can also put a little puff inside.
• Hair elastics
• Mini claw clips
• Wet wipes - never know when you'll catch that bug with your face!
• Tinted Baby Lips balm with SPF
• Jewelry - I pack it away while riding. Earring backs are sharp!
• Herbal Essences Mouse - okay, it isn't in my take-along bag, I leave this in my locker at work to fix any frizz and revive flat helmet hair.
• Band-Aids - 'cause I take them everywhere.
• Benefit's They're Real Mascara Mini. Why a mini when a full size is cheaper? Well, it takes up less space and you shouldn't keep your mascara that long. It takes me a year to use up a full size tube of mascara - but you should replace mascara every couple of months. This way I use what I have and then replace it. It may cost a tiny bit more - but new mascara is less costly than an eye infection.
• Scented hand lotion - like perfume, but with moisturizing benefits!
• Skinceuticals physical blocking matte tinted SPF 50 - this stuff is great! Matte SPF with staying power and enough tint for it to work as a sheer foundation.

Well, that's it for me!

What do you pack for riding to work?

Fighting evil by moonlight - Bad-ass Motorcycle Makeup

I've been pimping my ride - sticker style!

First - I made a rough estimate of the area I wanted to sticker. Just visualizing the style. By the way - Sailormoon / Pinkie pie crossover is what I was going for.

See that grey "x"? Say goodbye to the grey!

Second - Wipe down and prep the area. I used painters tape and leftover Christmas wrapping paper to protect the rest of the bike. Spray a few layers of plasti-dip on the surface of the bike. Follow plasti-dip directions! It came from DipYourCar and those guys make instructional videos - watch them first!

Painters tape first, then wrapping paper and masking tape to prevent overspray

Third - Stickers! I roughed out the layout on my couch and made final adjustments on the bike itself.

Sources:

• My Sailormoon stickers came from Etsy - MikomiAccessories and BeagleCakesArt
• The MLP stickers and washi tape were found at Target
• Retro reflective tape - Streetglo

Right side

Left side - you can see the shine of the mod-podge, this is before applying the final coats of clear plasti-dip. After application that shine disappeared.

Fourth - After applying the stickers - I lightly brushed over the sticker area with mod-podge. A few of the stickers kept lifting because I'd had to move them once....maybe ten times to get the design right. A little patience and podge fixed it!

I was a little nervous since the podge was high gloss - but once it dried and I sprayed another coat of plasti-dip over it the shine faded and after 3 more layers of the plasti-dip...well, my bike is winning love by daylight!

The Lady has a New Ride

I've got a new set of wheels!

I was keeping an eye out for a new motorcycle - and until last week I'd thought the only bike that really suited me was the BMW g650. I liked the seating position, the low height, and the performance of the BMW but at $8,000 starting price it wasn't really in my budget. So, I considered it a dream-bike and kept my eye out but didn't go much further.

D was looking. D has a V-strom but wanted something more. Unfortunately, or luckily depending on your perspective, there just isn't a better bike for what he wants. We had tried lowering the V-strom so that I could inherit it, but even after putting on the lowering links, I still couldn't touch the ground. If it went down I would not be able to pick it up on my own. Even though the V-strom and the BMW g650 have a lot of things in common, it just wasn't for me.

So I continued day-dreaming of a BMW adventure rider and keeping my eye out - occasionally going out to see what was available. I'd throw my leg over and confirm - yep, this is the perfect bike for me. I did that for one that was so close to my price range that it was worth it to start negotiations with the dealer. But, before I signed a deal, D suggested I check out one other bike, the Honda CB500x.

I'd seen a woman riding one at a Touratech movie night, and remembered it looked pretty good, so we searched around for one online. I found a 2015 at a dealer and D and I went to try it out. My thinking was that I was going to try one more option before going back to the BMW. I threw a leg over and wow, it was a great fit!

A few days later I found one in the price and features I was looking for online. I called the dealer to see if it was still there and we took a drive out to visit. When I walked in I was surprised when he automatically assumed I wanted to check out the 2013. I hadn't heard that there was a 2013 and hadn't found a used one available anywhere. Turns out it had recently come in and had just been listed. Good luck!

2013 Honda CB500xa has ABS breaks, a similar upright riding position to the V-strom and BMW, a lower seat, and at about 400 lbs - I wasn't worried about dropping it. This particular bike came with heated grips and after market adjustable levers. Bonus!

Now I'm no longer day dreaming about riding a BMW. Instead, I'm going riding on my Honda and saving about 4 grand. Now I can afford some gear upgrades for the new riding season! Updates on that coming soon!

Sidenote: I have some plastidip coming my way and I can't wait to mod out the tank sides with Sailor Moon stickers. 

Finishing the Garage

The project for February was to finish the garage and I'm happy to say we are done!

It started with bare walls, similar to our living space. We added insulation, drywall, paint, lights, and lots of organization! Not to mention tons of cleaning and elbow grease.

You'll see more projects coming up in the near future. Our goal is one house project a month - we have gardening, more organization, interior projects, and lots more!

- Pics below -

No more bare walls

Working around the windows

Taping the seams

Painted, organized, and put back together

Shop side

Storage, art, and canning side. There are some left over bits on the floor - soon to disappear!

Work tables. There are some left over bits on the tables but it is soon to be organized!

Thanks mom!

My mother gave me a gift card for Amazon for my birthday and my gift just arrived today!

Winter riding gives me a chilly nose and chapped lips so I got myself a facemask :-)

It is so super!! I converts easily from a half-mask to a full mask for really cold trips, but so far I'm rocking out with the half-mask look.

Also - I went for a walk with my Hubs in our soon-to-be new neighborhood. I found a British phone booth!

Where did I go?

Oh my! Where did all the time go!?

The SugarSpoon Kickstarter didn't work. Although I learned a lot and raised some awesome funds, it didn't make enough to finish. SugarSpoon is still rockin' it'll just take a little bit longer to get all the permitting done.

In the meantime - I took a trip out to a farm about 40 minutes north and found the most delicious apples! I brought a box home and made applesauce, apple pie filling, and apple jelly. The skins from the apples turned the jelly a rosy shade of pink. The jars look like pale pink tourmaline gems - it also tastes delicious :-)

Out in the fields of that farm there were hot air balloons going up. Once at a certain height, the riders jumped parachuting out one by one. D and I leaned against the fence sucking on honey straws and watched the colorful demonstration as the sun set.

Other fun adventures include Macrina Bakery and also I bought a scooter.

Macrina Bakery first - We went to the one in Belltown on First Ave. The inside was pretty dark and cozy but I wanted to eat out in the fresh air so we sat at the metal tables provided outside.
While the plum roll was ok - a little denser than needed and more prune than plum, the apple pie was pretty awesome. The apples were light, thin sliced, and not too syrupy or sweet. The crust was thin but flaky and substantial.

Ok - now for the Scooter! I was looking at scooters for a while - thinking that they might be a good alternative mode for transportation since I sold my Buell. I wanted something I could be a little lazy with - you know, less repair hours and more on-road hours. I'm also notoriously thrifty and so I didn't want to spend 10k of a BMW F650. (although...if one fell into my lap I could always be tempted)

Anyways, I was looking at a Buddy 170i. It is cute, spiffy, came in a style and color I really liked, and had been sitting at Scoot About for about 3 months (since the first time I saw it) without selling. The Buddy 170i also says it can hold two people, claims 90MPG, and has really good reviews online.

I went to Scoot About to try it out for a test drive before buying it - I was pretty sure that it was going to be mine but I just wanted to make sure cause I knew it wasn't something I could return later. So, I go in, ask to test ride, and ... no. It wasn't set up to run. So, I ask if there is another 170i I can try... no.

Now I feel a little weird. I mean, I don't buy jeans without trying them on, I don't buy a book without looking through it, I don't buy a car without taking it for a spin first...why would I be expected to buy a scooter without being allowed to test ride?!

The sales person - who was super nice by the way, explained that they had sold their only 170i scooter earlier and hadn't set up a new one yet. I asked if I could come back when they set one up. It didn't have to be the exact one I wanted, but that it would be nice to try out a scooter and since there were no other scooters in the store that were set up - they would have to set one (at least one) up anyways.

Another sales person came over and did a little high-pressure on me about okay well if we set it up are you prepared to buy it. Of course, if I like it, I will! I didn't appreciate the pitch though.

So I came back the next day and took the Buddy 170i for a spin. It was peppy, light, and had enough oomph that I easily kept up with traffic. It was also tiny, hard for me to see the controls while riding, and jeez did I feel every little crack in the road!

The max capacity of the Buddy 170i is about 320lbs. That's everything. That's me, my gear, anything in my topcase, and another passenger - max out at 320lbs. ouch.

I didn't like it.

I decided to check another shop for a brand comparison - Big People Scooters in south Seattle.

There, I really liked a black and white Piaggio Fly 150. I asked if I could try it out ... no.

He did explain that a lot of people will buy a scooter without an endorsement and without an endorsement you cannot test ride. Ok - I get that. But I have an endorsement and I'd like to do a test drive. The guy happily took my name and number and said I'd get a call when it was ready. No hassle. I liked that.

Two days later (it was ready before then) I came back for a test ride. The Piaggio was longer and I didn't squish my knees against the handle bars. The ride was smoother, easier, comfortable, and down right sweet.

I didn't notice any real difference between the 150 and 170. I rode through south Seattle at 35-40 easy, kept up with traffic, braked well, and I liked that I could read the dash while riding. Also - even on south Seattle roads my tailbone didn't hurt as there was a lot less vibrations coming through.

I went back to the dealership, the customer service was very nice, paperwork went through without causing too much wrist pain and so....

Say hello to my new scooter!

I haven't come up with a name yet. Scooter plates are 6 letters or digits -
WHTRVN? 2-CUTE? ABROOM? GHOSTY? I can't decide. But I can tell you I'm having a great time riding this thing!

I drink your milkshake!

When I'm not working at place A, or place B, or the many places of C, you'll find me drinking milkshakes with friends and lovers OR - 

Admiring the butterflies at the Pacific Science Museum 

 

Taking pictures of jellyfish - such peaceful-looking killing machines!

Or organizing - say hello to my pantry!

Motorcycle- poetry in motion...or pieces...

Haiku to my bike:

In a cold garage
I love my motorcycle
Magic in the Spring

I want to ride my....

bicycle!

I'm saving up for a bike so I can pedal around in the summer. Be on the alert - I have a fascination with all things on two wheels.

Other news: I <3 my job. I really do.
I get to help people help themselves and everyday I have the opportunity to change someone's life.
Plus... it fun damnit!

More later...

Helmet lurvs...

I have an awesome helmet - The HJC IS-Max BT modular helmet in soft matte black.

Its beautiful, comfortable, breezy, and I love it but it isn't very visible. I didn't want a black and white one though - I wanted one that was black and hyper-reflective.

So...

It is a work in progress, but I feel it is progressing pretty well.

Helmet love!

Buell Blast carb tuning

I do lots of stuff - make fancy lunches, knit, watch internet videos for new ways to style my hair, and now I gut bikes and fiddle with what's inside.

I bought my bike from Ride West about 3 months ago. I wanted something cheap and reliable to get to work and back. Minor wear and tear issues would have been fine, but instead, what I got was a bucking, wild beast! I named her Cupcake.

Cupcake wouldn't start, she would rev super high and extremely loud and then the revs would drop off a cliff and she'd die. When she would run she'd scream the whole way - loud enough to make my ears hurt and leave me ringing long after.

Mind you - Ride West said that this bike was running fine. I've never owned a bike before so I relied on their information. I had a friend do the test ride and up and down the block it seemed to be okay. Silly me, up and down the block was fine, but anything more than that and I'd be pushing it home.

I had to push it from Home Depot to The Scooter Store - Thanks guys at the Scooter Store for letting me keep it there until I could get someone to come pick it up!

So, as far as repairs go - in the three or so months since I got this bike -

Replaced the muffler insulation...well, not really replaced- there was nothing to take out and replace, I just put a new one in.

Bent the handles so I can actually reach the brake and clutch!

Changed the connector that attached the carb to the engine.

That connector was faulty so I had to remove the new one and attach and new new one.

Changed the pin in the carb

New spark plug.

Of course, I have no idea how to do any of these things - I have a dear friend who is helping me, and the internet videos that I use to learn new braiding techniques are on the same site used to find videos for carb tuning.

I use my cell to take pictures of every nut and bolt and tool used to take everything apart and then flip backwards through those pictures to put everything back together again.

Put the yellow thingy on the top thing and twist! (That's how I operate)

Changing a Carb!

The hazards and benefits of buying gear on Craigslist

So I’m a bit of a miser-  though, I prefer the word spendthrift. It brings to mind images of the “buy it, make it , or do without” posters of WWII.

Imagine ladies darning socks, canning victory garden crops, and all that.

In that vein, if I can’t make it, or do without it, I check Craigslist to see if I can thrift it. I love checking out the weird (and sometimes awesome!) stuff people post on there.

Recently, I’ve been on the hunt for good used gear, and I’ve gotta say, I’ve done pretty well. There’s a pair of men’s textile pants I bought that are too big for me – but I got a jacket, boots, and pants that fit for $235. Not bad.

My helmet and gloves are new, but I was able to save a bit by shopping around and waiting until the prices came down a little.

I did spend of lot of time hunting the gear down. Time I could’ve spent gardening, skating, or painting my nails…although I’m pretty sure there were a few times I did paint my nails while gear-shopping online. Time isn’t a drawback to just shopping on Craigslist though, you could enter a time warp perusing Ebay, Mod cloth, or Fab too. My general idea of  the benefits vs hazards of Craigslist follows:

The start of this great venture

Yay beginnings!

I guess the upside of this is that I can look back and say that, that point right there is where things all started to go wrong...or right..or whatever the case may be. 

That point, the origin of all these shenanigans,  comes from one simple enough question - 

How do you wear long hair under a motorcycle helmet? 

Serious. Google it and you'll get one of three answers: 1. chop it off, 2. get over it, or 3. the low ponytail.

1. Isn't gonna happen

2. How can I get over it?! That's the equivalent of giving up and consigning myself to bad hair days everyday. I want to ride everyday - to work and from it, and I'm not going to get dressed and do my hair in the teensy bathroom stall with bad lighting and spotty sewage. 

3. Is boring. I could do a low pony and get that weird crease at the back of my head with a super flat top. I could swap the pony for a bun in the previously mentioned ladies room - but that doesn't solve the deflated volume issue. I also get super snarly when I ride with my hair in a low pony, braids, or ponytails with extra bands going down to the tips.

So...how do you get sleek supermodel hair to come cascading out of your helmet when you take it off after a ride?  This isn't a manly-rider question, but you can't call it silly unless you either have a solution for the problem, or you dig lady bikers with permafrizz hairdos.