five thousand

kilometers that is. after returning from a long day run to Fredericton, capital of New Brunswick, Selene rolled over 5000 km. that's a lot of km's since picking her up on March 29, 2006. on that day she had a lowly one kilometer on her. in four months we have clocked a fair amount of asphalt under us and it has been wonderful.

i never really thought that i missed riding that much. i guess it's the old "out of sight, out of mind" adage. my Kawasaki had been laid up for two years and i never really got around to thinking about how much i missed being on two wheels.

i honestly can't thank joey enough for pushing me to get a new bike. i guess in many ways she knew that i missed it even if i didn't.

when i sit here and think about it, i've had a bike for 20+ years. i started off on the little Yamaha y-zinger 80 and soon after that was gone, i had my Kawasaki 440LTD. it's always been a part of my life and has always been a way for me to escape. things getting on my nerves and stressing me too much? no problem...hop on the bike and disappear for a few hours. stress just melts away and gets left behind with the pavement.

i remember when i finally got up the nerve to leave Labrador and finally get out to a real city. i knew i wasn't leaving without my bike (the Kaw at the time). me and my grandfather packed her up in the back of his small Ford Ranger with all my other stuff. i took my car and my grandparents drove the truck. my little Toyota Tercel (The Beast) didn't make it and i almost lost one of my front wheels (read: not a blow out, but the entire front wheel). no problems, just tossed me in the cramped quarters behind the seats in the mini cab of that truck and off we went. as soon as i got to New Brunswick, i got my license switched over and i was on the road again. it barely bothered me to lose the car. as long as i had my bike, i was golden.

once i tire of Selene, i'll move on to something bigger. maybe a Goldwing...maybe a Harley, but it will be something. i never want to forget that feeling again.

know what?


By the tracks 01
Originally uploaded by giest.
i really love how cameras don't pick up all the small details that the naked eye would pick up. otherwise you would notice all the dirt on Selene and not notice how pretty she is. :)

this was taken while out for a daily ride on the back roads around Rothesay, New Brunswick. the roads are twisty, but in bad shape so you have no choice but to go slow. that's ok though, the scenery makes it well worth the slow ride.

not much

refering to not much going on. i try to ride to work everyday, but haven't been out on any big rides lately. the weather seems to be in disagreement with my days off. just like it's supposed to rain on my next three days off. man...i have to get out of the maritimes...ugh.

in other news, i have ordered a backrest and two beanie helmets. the backrest is from Cruiser Backrest and includes the luggage rack. we are going to need that for the trip to Niagara, Ontario next month. speaking of which, our rooms are booked, we are registered and can't wait for the time to come. should be a blast with rides around the area and good times with good people.

the helmets are from Jafrum. I'm kind of iffy about them (size wise that is, not quality). we did the whole head measuring thing and it came out as large for both of us. the return policy is great for them, but that would mean a longer wait to use the helmets. i love my full face Icon, but for short jaunts to work and the store...it's a pain in the ass and takes up a lot of room. i'd still wear the full face on the highway, but around town a beanie would be easier. i'm sure many of you have had the problem of walking around a mall with a full face in hand. people are only made with so many hands.

i have some new pics of the bike that i need to upload and i'll make sure to put one or two up here. you can always check out my pics at my flickr page. the link is on the right side bar.

safe journeys all!

I Rode, Did You?

What in tarnation?

i don't know if you know much about my area, but this just ain't normal. add to that the fact that i rode to work. hope it all clears up in three hours...

Selene's First Ferry


Selene's First Ferry 03
Originally uploaded by giest.
macrobe reminded me of this shot. i meant to post it a while back, but it kept slipping my mind. i would have to say that this is my new favourite shot of Selene. we had gone out for a nice ride and just decided to hit the ferries.

there are a bunch of free ferries that run across the rivers around here and you can actually make a day of just driving around and criss-crossing the rivers. with approximately 12 small ferries that make the rounds all day, on a beautiful day it can make for one heck of a relaxing trip. here is the website for the ferries.

it was nice to park the bike, get off and watch the water go by, mount up and head off to the next ferry.

a few years back we did the same thing with a friend of mine, but in a car. we hit every ferry we could and had a great time. before the summer is out, i intend to do the same thing on the bike. complete with pictures.

so yeah...Selene's first ferry crossing and my new favourite shot of her.

Pssst


Y-zinger
Originally uploaded by giest.
hey, wanna see me on my very first motorcycle? well, here she is. knobby tires, clutchless transmission, three whole gears and a whole ton of guts. i dearly loved this bike and i can honestly say that it started my passion for two wheeled riding.

ain't i just the cutest thing?! hehe

O Canada!


to all my fellow Canucks, i wish you all the best for the holiday weekend. say it loud, say it clear: