Life at 14,067

Foothills Parkway

So, just thought I'd interject a little "side" blog in between ride documentation.  The title of this post is where I'm at, mileage wise.  I've owned my bike for 1 year and 2 1/2 months.  We have a few "big" rides planned this month, so maybe I'll be at 15K by 8-1.  Thought I'd share a few gems I've picked up during my time on the bike, and also update the Scout Sixty at 14,000 miles!

I don't spend hours cleaning my bike, but I never let her go dirty either!

1.  I ALWAYS prefer long sleeves when riding, especially in the summer.  I'd like to find some nice ATV jersey type clothes for the REALLY hot days.  Those w/ just a sports bra are nice.  Downfall is they DO blow around a lot, and on a longer ride, that can irritate my neck a little.  I was digging the 1/4 zip dri fit long sleeved shirts, but I've discovered that whether they're zipped or not, the wind blows them into my neck and it's VERY irritating.  My way favorite way of riding on a hotter day is a dri fit tank top w/ the bra built in, and my mesh jacket.  The mesh jacket is just perfect; it's heavy so it doesn't blow UP, it's perforated so the wind flows right through it and it doesn't flap around my arms/body/neck, and it has a small mock collar so my neck doesn't get sunburned at ALL.  The downfall to the mesh jacket is that it's heavier than a jersey, so on those really hot and humid days I feel like I'm suffocating when sitting still.  Moving down the road is fine, but if we stop to get water or walk around, when I go to put the jacket back on, it actually sticks to the sweat on my arms and it's uncomfortably hot.

2.  I always prefer to wear gloves when riding.  I've tried going naked handed, and I've tried the fingerless gloves.  I found a nice pair of Fly riding gloves that are nice and stretchy and lightweight enough that my hands don't sweat in them on a hot day.  I prefer the padding in the knuckles to keep the vibration in my hands down, plus I have seen a pic of a lady that had a super slow speed fall take off the top part of her index finger WITH THE GLOVES!  I'd' hate to know how badly she would have been injured with NO or fingerless ones.  Safety first!

All the gear, even in summer

3.  A full face helmet is hot.  There's just no getting around it.  But after seeing a facebook friend dealing with a busted nose/mouth after a slow speed fall on gravel ... full face it is!  I may invest in a modular in the future so I can drink water on the quick.  I also may just invest in a camelback water pack, but I hate wearing a backpack if I don't have to.

4.  Anyone without many thousands of miles under their belt should definitely get out and ride solo.  To me, solo means just me and the bike, no friends/riding partners.  It's a GREAT chance to work out any biomechanical problems you may be dealing with, and it's great practice working on reading the road on your own.  Many less experienced riders do ride in front of their riding partner, but I prefer riding in the back.  I find that I spend a lot of time watching the hubs' lane positioning and his lines through the curves instead of riding my own.  If you've followed my blog at all, you know I've suffered w/ a little bit of jerkiness and a lack of smoothness on mainly my left hand curves.  I've worked out that it was a combination of not seeing well over the top of my new windshield, and today I realized that I lean differently to the left, which is contributing to the jerky curves.  I have a fairly pronounced scoliosis S curve in my back, and it's easy to curve my back to the left as I go right, but I STILL curve my back left as I go left and it's messing w/ my trajectory.  Riding solo gives me the chance to go a little slower and play with lean angles, counter steering, and sitting up vs sitting back, etc.  I feel like I have figured out a few things this week!  I've ridden approximately 240 solo miles since Monday, and I'm READY for whatever we choose to do this weekend!

The lake next to the Tail of the Dragon

5.  The Scout.  Oh, how I love my Khaleesi!  I'm excited and proud to say I've gotten to test out the "heavyweight" bikes now, and I can definitely give some updates to my "A beginner's view on the Indian Scout".
     A.  The size.  I have absolutely gotten myself into what I consider 'worst case' scenarios while out riding here in E. TN and the surrounding areas.  Steep stop signs with off camber hills, gravel, pot holes, debris, traffic lights on steep hills, etc.  I have been SO grateful that I can flatfoot my bike, and if I have a bit of a hard stop I haven't dropped it (since that one time when it still had the drive out tag!).  The size and weight of the Chieftan scares me.  It feels exceptionally heavy when wedging into a tight spot that's not flat (pulled into a pulloff on our last demo ride) and if it's on the slightest incline towards the kickstand, I can NOT heft it off.  I'm sure that will come with time, but in the 3 times I've ridden the Chieftan, I've had to have help picking it up twice.
    B.  The reachability of everything.  I have a small reach.  My hands are not big and my legs are not long.  I have NO problems with the clutch, the shift/brake lever, or the turn signals.  I just have standard everything.  I demo'd a Scout set up w/ reduced reach, and the ONLY thing I liked was the reduced reach handlebars!  I am dying for a set of those. I think they will be soooo much more comfortable.  I hated the reduced seat and foot controls, the seat pushed me up on the gas tank, and the foot controls were so tight I felt like I kept missing the brake lever.  LOVED the reduced reach seat on the Chieftan.  I still can't flatfoot the bike, but it does drop me down closer and push me more towards the tank, which on THAT one, is good.  It puts more of a bend to me knee when riding, which I don't necessarily need, but you can't be too picky!  The kickstand on Khaleesi is just right, it's intuitively there.  I have not been able to put down or up the kickstands on ANY of the big bikes I've tried.  I've ridden 3 Chieftans, and 2 Springfields.  Every time, someone has had to get it for me.  I just can NOT reach it, no matter how hard I try!
    C.  Long term comfort.  My comfort zone is 200-300 mile stretches at the time.  My back and butt get very tired.  The Mustang solo seat for me IS more comfortable than the stock seat on the 'lady parts', but it puts more pressure on my seat bones.  My old gel pad I bought for the MIL's Shadow passenger pillion has worked well with the Mustang seat, no hot spots on my seat bones.  It puts more pressure back on the 'lady parts', but not nearly as bad as the stock seat.  Maybe a Corbin seat would be better, I don't know ... or the narrow seat from Indian.  Unfortunately, I don't have an unlimited budget to just buy things to throw on it.  Maybe some day!  My back is sooo tired b/c of the forward positioning.  David has rotated the bars back and that's helped, but I can't wait to ride w/ the RR, where I can sit up totally straight.  If my arms were longer, that would be better, but again ... short.
    D.  The windshield.  That dang stock windshield is HORRIBLE!  A waste of $449 in my opinion.  The buffeting was so bad, it made the bike feel unstable at higher interstate speeds.  I have 2 different full face helmets, and the buffeting was just as bad for both, so NOT the helmet!  I switched to the Freedom Shield and it has made a world of difference.  The bike is steady, stable, and I can even ride now w/ my Indian face shield on my Indian helmet up w/out being 'rigged' to stay up.  W/ the stock shield, the faceshield on my Indian helmet would crash shut at speeds above 30 mph.  Now, I can ride on the interstate at 80+ mph and the helmet shield stays up on its own.  I even got so desperate for it to stop, I took off my windshield and rode w/ a naked bike.  Never again!  Even though I love the look, the wind got up under my helmet and lifted it up to the point that I felt like I was being hanged.  No bueno!
    E.  Reliability.  I've replaced both stock tires, and had 2 oil changes.  So far, so good!  No issues at all to speak of.  I hate to jinx anything, but all stock parts have performed just as expected, very pleased!
    F.  Performance.  STILL love the bike like whoa.  I have been up and down the Tail of the Dragon literally too many times to count any more.  We've done the Cherohala Skyway about 4 or 5 times, the Blue Ridge Parkway 3 or so times, the Rattler 4 or 5 times, the Devil's Triangle in its entirety twice, etc.  I've ridden so many named roads, it's crazy!  That bike is a dream through this terrain.  Power to spare, plenty of get up and go for the high speed roads, and handles switchback turns with ease.  I can negotiate crazy steep roads without a care in the world b/c David taught me the 'clutch sweet spot' trick, and I love only having 5 gears vs. 6 b/c it's less decision making!  Haven't run out of gas despite the lack of a fuel gauge b/c I keep an eye on the tripodometer.  I've done as long as 150 miles between fuel stops, but tend to let 120 be the max distance.  I have had problems starting it if I'm at 120 miles, or if the low fuel light is on b/c of the way the fuel injection works, but I was told a trick to try next time that happens.  (un)Fortunately, I haven't had the starting problem since I was told the trick b/c I've kept it gassed up as much as possible, lol!

New 2018 bandana

I don't know what else I can say!  I'm proud of ever mile I've ridden.  Hoping that we can swing getting David his Chieftan before the year is up, and that he will trust me to take it on a ride to work on a Tuesday.  Maybe I can get him to switch w/ me for that day so he can help me with the kickstand, lol!  I also will 100% own a Chieftan, but right now that's in the "someday" category.  Let's just say w/in 10 years!  I will never trade or sell Khaleesi, she's mine forever.  I will keep her in the family for the rest of my days.  Just have floorboards, the RR bars, and the Maverick Krusher slip on exhaust pipes left to get for her.  She currently has an updated LED headlight from Eagle lights, the Mustang solo seat, and the Freedom windshield.  I look forward to the experience I gain w/ every mile I ride, and I pray it's always safe and uneventful!  Thanks for reading :)

Game changer for those of us with no saddlebags!!

Let's discuss sunscreen and riding position!

The weekend following our KY trip was hot.  I don't even remember what we did on Saturday (I think ... sat on the couch).  Saturday night we decided to head into Pigeon Forge for ice cream once the baby went to bed.  It is a very interesting experience riding the mountain in the DARK.  We took 321 into Townsend and took Wears Valley Road into Pigeon Forge.  Wears Valley road has some tight 25 mph twisties and one 15 mph uphill right hand switchback turn.  We were stuck behind a SLOW car; it almost makes the turns harder when you're SO slow you feel like you're struggling just to stay upright. 

Late night ice cream

After imbibing, we hit the connector between PF and Gatlinburg, then headed to the bypass so we could view the city at night.  Gorgeous!  Came home through the national park which is ALWAYS a fun time.  I had a few moments STILL; made some VERY rough turns; visibility was my issue.  It had rained and we hit some wet roads, just was feeling very not trustworthy.  Got back home at 11:45 pm; did about 100 miles.

Gatlinburg at 11:00

The following weekend, I was able to get a last minute day off on Friday, AKA First Saturday!  I found my gel pad I'd bought ages ago and decided to try it on my Mustang seat; I've self diagnosed my problem as visibility issues in general.  My Freedom Shield is just a hair too tall for me, and I've been struggling with looking through it vs looking over it.  I can see through it just fine, but my brain keeps saying I need to look over, so I keep shifting and changing positions to try and crane my neck to look up and over.  That gel pad lifts me up about 1/2 an inch and now it's pretty much perfect!  I still have that little bit of leeway for when I get my reduced bars, but I can see over it w/out feeling like I'm struggling.

Gearing up for a nice night ride

We woke up prior to 5:00 am so that we could get our butts down to Helen, GA by 8:45 am to join the Middle Tennessee IMRG's rally 'The Gathering'.  They were doing a group ride over "The Gauntlet" which is one of our map rides that we haven't gone on yet.  The Gauntlet is similar to The Copperhead in the sense that it's not just one named road, it's several roads that when you ride them all connected, you've done the "named ride".  I always prepare for my summer rides with sunscreen on my upper torso (the spray kind) and specific face sunscreen for my face (lotion).  I also utilize baby powder and diaper rash cream!  Learned those tricks being at the barn and riding horses in the summertime.  Dressed in a Dri fit tank top, a T shirt, a super light dri fit 1/4 zip long sleeved shirt, and my mesh jacket with the liner in it.  At 5:30 in the morning, the air still has that chilly factor since the sun hasn't come out yet.

Surrounded by fantastic machines!

Our ride down consisted of roads we both haven't traveled, and others we had only been on once or twice.  There was one moment where David's angel protected him PERFECTLY.  We were riding with speed, but also with caution; I saw the deer to the left and JUST as the word left my mouth, it leaped across the road.  David saw it, locked the bike down, kept it upright as the back wheel fishtailed, and the deer was gone.  I saw it with enough notice that I had backed off and barely even had to touch my brakes.  Thank you, Jesus.

We arrived in Helen perfectly on time, and my heart was RACING as we took in all the beautiful Indian motorcycles.  I have NEVER seen so many in one place!  It was a huge group, easily 50+ bikes.  My heart was excitedly pumping as we took it all in.  Quickly left and filled up at a nearby gas station for $3.59 per gallon!  Ouch!  Helen has been the victim of some torrential rain and the Victory Motorcycle rally was literally flooded out.  Thank goodness we were only filling up motorcycles and not the truck!  We got back to the group, hung out for the "announcements" and the prayer, then we mounted up.  We hadn't decided where to get in; I told David I felt it best just to let the ones in a hurry go ahead and take off, then when things slowed down, we jump in.  We did exactly that.  The bike we were going to get behind actually fell down at the start, so we ended up leaving out ahead of them.  We chose perfectly.  As we roared through the wonderfully curvy roads following about 30 bikes, I felt like our speed was just perfect.  As we continued down the road, the bikes behind me all fell away; about 20 of them.  We pushed through to the scheduled gas stop, and we snagged a snack, but no gas as the plan was to leave the group and head back north after the food stop.

Lining up at the 'fuel stop'

As we were getting ready to leave, the 2nd half of the group finally pulled in.  We experienced the "accordion" affect as we headed to the restaurant.  Caught up to the bikes ahead during the curves, then got on the gas and raced to keep up on the straightaways.  Again, all the bikes behind me slowly disappeared and we had an AWESOME ride to the Lodge.    I am VERY proud to say that some of the more experienced riders in the group were quite impressed I only had a year of experience, as we were riding with "Definitely not the slow group"! 

New earned swag

As we conversed with different riders, we realized that they had some awesome Dri Fit T shirts with the IMRG logo on them that we really wanted ... and they were back in Helen at the hotel ... so we decided to go ahead and complete the ride, especially since we were having a great ride and enjoying ourselves.  Ate a yummy buffet style lunch at the Copperhead Lodge, got us a new sticker, then decided on the "long" ride back which was being stressed as "Very curvy and Dragon-like".  I feel like one or 2 of the riders that knew I have only been riding a year stressed that fact; that we were going to be getting into some VERY curvy roads.  My response?  See all those stickers on my bike?  Those are all the roads I've ridden; multiple times!  I'm sure I'll be fine.  And fine I was!

About 30 beautiful Indian motorcycles!

We were JUST getting into the rhythm of  the curves when we overwhelmed a small motor lodge with drinks/snacks/chairs.  I have no idea why we decided to stop so soon, but we walked up on the porch and crashed in a rocking chair.  Again, the 2nd half of the now smaller group was about 10 mins behind; I think we were waiting for them to catch up.  After about a half hour break, we completed the ride.  No problems, it was so much fun.  I had NO problems keeping up, and I felt immensely more comfortable sitting that measely little half inch higher.  As we got off the bikes back in Helen, I was quite frankly exhausted.  We'd been on the road for about 7 hours at that point, and by that time, I'd stripped down to the tank top and the jacket.  We shook some hands, engaged in some conversation, bought our T shirts, and got ready to head back to Maryville; as I pulled on my jacket, my arms were sticky with sweat and the jacket didn't even want to go on smoothly.  We were sweating to death as we stopped in the shade for David to confirm our route home on his  GPS, but once we got going it was much better.  We went north up through Robbinsville, NC and pulled off to go down and take a dip in the creek.  It was SO refreshing!  We'd gone though all of our Sports drinks, and gulped down the final sips of water at that rest stop.  ALMOST home, just the Dragon to conquer.  We dunked our heads in the creek and felt incredibly refreshed.

Heading down to take a dip in the creek

As we motored up through Deal's Gap, NC, we didn't stop.  We headed straight to the Dragon.  Let me tell y'all; it was one of my BEST trips through it.  David ALWAYS leaves me in the dust for a short curvy section close to the Gap; far enough that our radios lose connection.  I do most of the road in 2nd gear, kicking it up to 3rd just a hand full of times.  On that day ... First Saturday ... I stayed RIGHT on David's tail, and I did probably 70% of the road in 3rd, the MOST ever!  At the tail end of a 410 mile day, on a day with high humidity and 90+ degree temps ... I am SO proud of myself!  As we safely pulled into the garage 13 hours after we began our day, I ran STRAIGHT to the shower, lol.  I was sore, tired, dehydrated, but NOT sunburned!  Not one single patch of skin.  So, don't ride in a tank top or a T shirt if you don't want to get sunburned :)  Part 2, or "Second Saturday" to be released at a later date!

Day TWO after 800 miles in the summer sun; NO sunburn!

The very best feeling, EVER!

My ride or die

The alarm filtered dimly through my sleep crusted eyes.  My brain screamed, "NO", and I felt myself drift away again.  9 minutes later, the alarm again drilled through my consciousness and I finally rolled up out of bed.

Unlike at the Suzuki Demo truck, I rode the HECK out of the Indians!

After doing the usual morning routine things, I dressed in yoga pants, jeans, and my favorite long sleeved Indian Motorcycle T.  I looked out the window at the gray, drizzly day and wondered if we were totally wasting our time by making the hour and a half drive down to Chattanooga.  I got the coffee going as I gathered up all the things necessary not to freeze riding motorcycles, and David and I loaded up the backseat of the car.

True story; I almost dropped this Springfield!

The rain continued as we stopped into a small town breakfast joint and consumed yummy omelettes.  My heart was already beginning to race as we got closer to our ultimate destination; Crockett Powersports and host of the Indian Motorcycle Demo truck.  It was almost one year ago that my very FIRST time EVER riding on the open road was the demo truck at Knoxville.  I had test driven a Scout in the parking lot of a church, trying out the skills I learned in my MSF course, but I had yet to put tires to asphalt in traffic.  It turned out to be one of the best things I ever did, making 5 passes through the track and gaining confidence each time as I rode the Scout 60, the Scout, then back to the 60 for 3 more rides.  2 weeks after that, I got my Scout 60 and have never looked back!  Here's a link to that blog from a year ago ;)  Last year's demo truck!

Just sitting on this bike gives me heart palpitations

Today, I had a new goal.  That goal was to take out a Thunderstroke 111 bike; one of the Big Boys.  I planned to start with the new Scout Bobber to "warm up", then take the Chief Darkhorse.  The Chief DH has no saddlebags or windsield, and is regarded as the next logical step up from a Scout.  Really, Indian has no "transition" bike.  The Chief, Springfield, Chieftan, and Roadmaster all run the 111 engine, and they all weigh in the neighborhood of 850 lbs vs the Scout's lean 550 lbs.  The engine is about twice the size of the Scout, at 111 cu inches vs 60 cu inches.  So Ms. Stuck in her own Head was already freaking out about reaching for something, and envisioning falling over in a corner, or dropping the bike at the first stop sign.  I've sat on and picked up every one of the big bikes (with the exception of the Roadmaster; I will never have one of those) on the showroom floor and to be honest, I can't IMAGINE actually driving one.  The long, stiff pull of the clutch ... the fact that I'm up on tip toes ... the fact that I've never ridden a motorcycle with floorboards ... all the electronic "stuff" and the fairing of the Chieftan ... yeah, I wasn't going down that road in reality, just in my head.

Ride #1; Scout Bobber

My pulse picked up as we turned into the driveway and my eyes took in the long line of beautiful Indian Motorcycles.  They make a magnificent sight, and get my blood pumping like nothing else.  We'd barely parked before I was jumping out of the car and making a beeline to the motorcycles.  I immediately picked out the gorgeous, glittery Chieftan Elite with the 116 Big Bore kit.  I was so excited, I grabbed David's arm and blabbered on about him riding the 116 AND the Elite, and how excited I am for him.  He just pulled me close to him and laughed at my enthusiasm.  No one was outside, which was no surprise because it was cold, windy, and dry at least!  I of course zeroed in on my beloved Scouts.  I threw my leg over one with the stock "runaround" seat, which I'd never seen in person.  It felt awesome!  If I failed to ride a Chief, I'd try that one.  There were 2 Bobbers; one with pegs and one with actual FLOORBOARDS!  I was excited, because I'm thinking about ordering floorboards for Khaleesi.  I chose that one as my first ride, and we went in to register.  I looked around for an Open Road Girls windsister that I knew was going to be there, and I think I found her right away.  She shares my name, Jennifer Leigh, so I felt a bond with her right off the bat!  She was hanging with the owners, and was there helping out.  She proclaimed she's too new to demo, and we talked for a few minutes.  Super nice woman, hopefully we can ride together some day.

SUCH a beautiful sight!

The ride was about to go out, so I ran to the car, added 3 layers on top, my helmet, and gloves, then claimed the Bobber with floorboards.  It was just a handful of us, David got to claim the Elite first time out.  We talked back and forth on the radios, and he was ecstatic already before he'd even shifted into 2nd gear.  He rode past me, and I awkwardly picked up my feet.  The boards dug into my shins, and I felt like I was folded in half, with my knees up to my boobs.  David was raving and glowing, while I was trying my darndest not to bi&$# and moan the entire time.  The ride was slower, on a back road with a not so good quality surface, but some good curves.  The hard seat dug into my rear, and the shifter/brake lever felt foreign as I fought the different position of the foot controls, and wanted so desperately to sit UP, but forward handlebars and short arms do not allow one to do that! Each time we stopped, it was a struggle to position my feet again because the boards wanted to catch on my boot and fold up.  The ride was short, less than 15 minutes, and all too soon we were lined back up in the parking lot.  David was sold, ready to get his 116 Chieftan in blue right then and there.  I climbed off the Bobber, said I'd never go THAT particular route again, then before I could overthink it sat on the Chief Darkhorse.  I picked it up fairly easily, and swallowed hard as my heart raced.  One of the demo truck guys walked over and asked if he could make a suggestion.  I said of course, and he recommended the Springfield Darkhorse.  He explained how the rake on the Chief and the SF are different (which of course I already knew; my concern was NOT the handling of the bike, it was the WEIGHT coupled with my inability to flat foot).  I agreed to try the SF first instead of the Chief, then went up to the head of the line and straddled the beast.  I felt the same wash of love and adrenaline flow over me as I picked her up; my mouth was totally dry as I struggled to swallow.  The bike FEELS amazing and comfortable, I was just CONSUMED with the "What IF???"  He started her up for me, then I asked David to come get the kickstand for me.  No matter how hard I tried to reach, I couldn't grab it; it was too far away.  David raised my kickstand, backed away, and I was well and truly on my own, on the Thunderstroke 111, riding an 850 lb bagger ... what the WHAT??  As I twisted the throttle, I was instantly struck with how smooth and easy the whole process was; the clutch pull felt PERFECT, almost better than Khaleesi, and the throttle sweet spot was so big, it would have been impossible to choke it.  We slowly pulled out, and before I could panic, I was moving.  H-O-L-Y C-R-A-P.  I was consumed with this feeling like I'd never felt; something like panicked euphoria.  As we pulled onto the road, I squeezed the clutch and upshifted ... or rather, ATTEMPTED to upshift.  I couldn't get the dang shift lever to move!  I don't have a giant foot, but it's not like a size 5 either.  I looked down at my readout to see what gear I was in, and there was a horizontal line.  Really?  I told David, I'm not even sure I was IN a gear!  But the bike was moving, and not in N, so I was in something.  As we pulled to a stop at a light, I fought the shifter down into 1st, and right then the check engine light came on.  OF COURSE.  It was at that moment, my 'survival' instinct clicked in, and all of a sudden I started riding.  I remembered reading on the Indian Motorcycle facebook page, that the 111's are such "torque monsters" that 1st should only be treated as a "granny gear", and to kick it up into 2nd pretty much as soon as the wheels start turning.  As we began pulling away once the light changed, I again upshifted and this time no issues.  The light stayed on, but everything was working smoothly.  David laughed at me the whole time as I whooped and hollered the entire ride.

And then THIS happened!!  Springfield Darkhorse

I had absolutely ZERO issues from there on out.  I had a BLAST throwing that SF through the curves; she felt like a beefier/cushier Scout.  Each time we stopped, I was hyper vigilant to put BOTH feet down, but I had no issues to speak of.  The rest, as they say, is history!  We stopped back in line, and the demo guy said, "You're taking the Chieftan next, right?"  Lol.   No.  They cleared the code on the SF, and I agreed to take THAT out again.  David got back on the Elite again for ride #3, and I patted the SF on the tank and we got to experience 5th gear this time.

David's future motorcycle; Chieftan Limited in Jimmie Johnson blue!  Just needs the 116 on it!

We pulled in, and the demo guy once again asked, "Chieftan?"  I said, "YES"!!!!  Once again those butterflies abounded as I settled behind the wheel of David's Jimmie Johnson cobalt blue Chieftan (just minus the 116!).  I picked her up, and with the exception of feeling slightly overwhelmed by all the info on the screen and speedometers/tachometers in front of me, she felt very similar to the SF.  This time the demo guy got my kickstand for me, he looked me in the eye and said, "Ready?  You got this".  With the excitement bubbling up inside me, I pulled directly behind the leader b/c David wanted to be behind me this time ... NO, I WANT MY SECURITY BLANKET lol.  But the leader this time was one that hadn't led yet and he was going pretty dang slow.  We all got on the road and I felt nearly overwhelmed.  I was doing something I thought maybe I'd NEVER do.  Definitely not something I'd do weeks of my one year riding anniversary, and 2 weeks shy of owning my own.  He took us on a wonky, longer ride than we'd done so far, and we got on the highway again; this time, I kicked her up into 6th gear, and she just FLOATED under me.  Aside from the first 2 minutes on the SF, I didn't have one single issue shifting.  David and I were talking, and I threw up my arm in a victory "dance", loving the fact that I was in 6th gear for the first time!

The stunningly beautiful Elite

As we pulled back into the driveway, I almost wanted to cry.  I literally wanted to keep driving those bikes all the way home to Maryville.  If all goes well this year, maybe 2018 will be the year David gets his.  For me, it will be a 10 year venture (an Indian Chieftan is as much as a decent car).  I'm hoping by that time, the big bikes haven't changed too much; I know Harley has had the Street Glide/Road Glide for soooo long.  He plans to either sell Mufasa or trade him in towards his Chieftan.  I will be keeping Khaleesi for Colton some day; she will NOT be leaving my family.  Best part to this story?  The demo truck is at IMOK next weekend!  I get to do it all over again!  AND the demo truck goes to Bristol later in the year, so that's a for sure 2 more opportunities to ride the beasts.  I can't stress enough how blessed I feel.  David and I have been married a long time, and "extra curricular" activities have strained our marriage at times; mainly the ones involving horses.  Now that we have discovered this shared passion of motorcycles, the times of arguments are less and less.  Couples that ride together, stay together!

Let's break it down ...

Including Sunday, FOUR RIDING DAYS this week!  Tuesday I left at 7:00 and went up and over Foothills Parkway before work.  It was a bit cool; I said BRRR!  Lol, it was a fabulous ride, NO complaints.

Foothills Parkway

Wednesday was rain, Thursday was RIDE!  It was a bit warmer; I finally broke out my mesh jacket (with the liner in it) and rode up 411 TO work, then came home Chapman Hwy to the backroads that dump me out on 321 almost to Walland.  This morning was same ride as yesterday, up 411 to work, but then afterwards David and I met up and we rode about 120 miles.

Ride #1; Cherokee, NC!

I rode 25 miles solo from work into Knoxville to meet up w/ David, and we headed out Northshore road into the "Hardin Valley" section of Knoxville.

Ride #2; Khaleesi and I tame Foothills before a way too long day at work

LOVE that area!  Great school system, nice houses, close to everything, and David had managed to find some AMAZING quiet, winding country roads with breathtaking mountain views.

Love talking bikes with my patients at work

I had never been on the majority of the roads we took today.  The temps this morning were chilly enough that my windshield/face shield/mirrors were fogging up from my breath.  Like yesterday, I was wearing just a thin "tech" layer under my mesh jacket with the liner ... BRRR!  This afternoon, however, I came out of everything except my T shirt and the jacket with OUT the liner.

Ride #3; just back and forth to work, but I didn't go home the way I came!

We twisted the throttles out towards Oak Ridge and hit an arm of "The Devil's Triangle".  We rode that SEVERAL months ago, and neither of us particularly enjoyed it.  Quite frankly, it scared me a little.  Of course, I have WAY more miles under my belt now (close to 9000), and the arm of it we did today was easy peasy.

Began and ended my day today in the dark

We ended up rolling up to a cool little log cabin restaurant called "The Golden Girls Restaurant" and enjoyed a fish dinner in Clinton.  I enjoy the few times the hubs and I can steal away together.

He rode in a T shirt up until the sun went down!

Ended up motoring along Clinton Hwy, and hit Northshore again to literally come full circle.  FABULOUS ride, had a blast!

Ride #4; about 160ish miles counting going to work and then driving out to meet up

Here is our Tail of the Dragon Video.  I was pretty pleased; my ride looks smooth and controlled.  In some stretches, I felt stiff and tense, but I try to always shake out my arms so I don't make any stupid mistakes.  It was slower than David usually leads out on, but he NEVER pressured me to ride any faster; LOVE that man!

Get ready to ride the Dragon with us!

Jen and David ride the Tail of the Dragon

Let's discuss song selection.

1.  "Thunder" by Imagine Dragons.  There is something about this song that just makes me dance and sing along EVERY time.  I just love it!

2.  "Happy Dance" by one of my favorite Christian bands, Mercy Me.  This song selection is TOTALLY self explanatory; riding is 148% my "happy dance"!!

3.  "Invincible" by Christian hard rockers Skillet.  This song is like my "fight song".  Jesus Christ is my co-rider, and He gave me the skills and the desire to ride motorcycles; when I'm flying along a curvy road, I absolutely feel INVINCIBLE.

4.  "I am Free" by my MOST favorite Christian artist, Jeremy Camp.  This song is the epitome of how I feel.  Unencumbered, unburdened, and like I can just fly.  One of the facebook comments on this video is that "It looks like she's riding to Heaven".  Gave me chills.

5.  "Stars" again by Skillet.  This song doesn't much pertain to motorcycles, and is more obviously a Christian based song, but it is just awesome.  Reminds me to pray continuously as my family is out and about not just riding, but also driving in our cars.

6.  "Lifer" again by Mercy Me.  This song is also pretty overtly Christian, but I can relate it to motorcycles because now that I'm hooked, I'm a LIFER on the bikes!

7.  "Try Everything" by Home Free.  This song is actually originally by Shakira off the Zootopia soundtrack, but I like this version better, so this is the one David put on.  SO appropriate because I like to think I'll "try anything" once!  Sometimes it's a fail, but sometimes it's a win!  Considering I dropped my bike 4 times in my MSF course, this song is SO appropriate to close out the video!

Anyway!  Sorry for the novel (as per usual).  Hope you enjoy the pics and the video!  Not much riding to be had this upcoming week with rain and colder temps back in the picture.

Ridin' all our cares away!

Our entire family on Thanksgiving day!

We had 2 short 60 mile rides after our KY jaunt.  They both were pretty fun!  We picked the better of the 2 weekend days (ahem, the WARMEST day) and went out once the baby went down for a nap (which put us around early afternoon).

A Sevierville back road

One of our rides was my "work loop" out to Foothills, down to 129, then back home.  Always a good ride.  On 129, we FINALLY stopped in at "The Dragon's Pit Stop" and went inside.  Usually when we go by there it's closed, so it was nice to finally get to go inside.

The following weekend, we took a route I picked out; the back roads of Sevierville!  I knew it was going to be peak color, and I didn't want to head out towards the National Park b/c I KNEW there was going to be a ton of traffic.  So we went the opposite direction, in the general direction of my work.  We headed out 321 towards Gatlinburg, then turned off up the back roads.  LOVE them so much; one road is more like a driveway than an actual road.  There was practically zero traffic, which I was THRILLED about.  On the down side, we were at the tail end of a stomach virus in our house, so David had to cut the ride a little shorter than he wanted b/c he was starting to get a "rumble in the tummy".  

Happiest when I'm out riding with my baby!

We cut through Wears Valley, which has some BEAUTIFUL sights, and turned into a neighborhood of gorgeous log cabins.  We climbed up ... and up ... and UP to the top of the neighborhood.  Breathtaking views up there!  Snapped a pic, then back down to home.

Could you imagine this view every day??

Our longer ride was 2 weekends ago; drove down 411 S towards Ocoee; had PLANNED to go all the way to a curvy river road down there, but we left later due to warmer weather, and David underestimated how quickly the sun is starting to go down now!  So we turned a little earlier than intended, actually touching the Cherohala Skyway for about a half a mile, then hit Hwy 68, which we had never been on before.  FABULOUS road, lots of curves; Khaleesi was SUPER happy with the route ;)

Last week, I rode to work on Wednesday.  Yes, you read that correctly!  It was 33 degrees in the morning, and I MADE IT.  I was sufficiently layered up to the point that the ONLY place that was cold was my finger tips.  So my gloves are too hot for 55+, and too cold for 40-.  My chin got a little cold because the way I had my jackets layered, I tunneled the wind directly up into my chin.  Slogged through work, then reaped my reward afterwards!  It was a sunny 63 degrees and I hit my usual track of FHP to 129 solo.  David thought I was crazy, but I'd do it again in a heartbeat;)

The weekend was a bust b/c it was raining on Saturday and COLD on Sunday, but this Thanksgiving week has been lovely.  We layered up and headed out yesterday around noon.  After a brunch at the Cracker Barrel with half of Maryville, we walked out to the bikes to see Mufasa's BRAND NEW rear tire sitting on the rim :(  I felt soooooo deflated, lol.  However, with a save from my amazing sister in law and then the fantastic father in law, we were able to not let that tiny roofing nail get the best of us!  11:30 this morning, we again layered up and headed out.  David's patch job seemed to be holding, so we headed into Knoxville, then north up to Big Ridge State Park.  Not going to lie ... that state park is a lot of nothing!  It sits on Norris Lake, and it must have been dammed up because there was no water to speak of.  There were hiking trails, but I have no idea if there were any waterfalls or any other "grand finale" there.  Made our way out of the park down this GREAT little country mountain road.  The road leading to the state park was like Holy 10 mph right hand corkscrews Batman!  I KNOW I said those weren't a problem anymore, but they DO still suck, lol.  I had ONE bad turn where I just didn't set up right, and I swung way wide into oncoming traffic, but luckily there was no traffic.  We ended up not far from the IMOK dealership and went down a SUPER fun curvy road that we had test ridden a Chieftan from the dealership down ... ever since, I've been dying to take Khaleesi down it!  It was just as fun as I knew it would be, and we worked our way back home, hitting I-140 for 11 miles.  But again, I was layered up perfectly, so didn't even catch a chill.  My gloves were perfect for this ride; it was between 50 and 55 degrees today; no chilly fingertips at all :)

David adjusted my handlebars a little; made them lower and closer.

Thankful for an amazing husband that always finds a fun track to suit our desires!  No long rides for a bit until the weather warms back up and the days get a little longer.  We went just about 105 miles today, and that was pretty perfect for the weather.  Gone about 5 hours, and that was with an hour lunch stop.  Not sure what next weekend will bring; we just take things one day at the time!  Blessed to have the time and the ability to do this together! <3 nbsp="" p="">

My favorite sign!  Curves ahead!! :)

Our thwarted ride!

TN backroads heading to state parks!

Today!  Yay!

Winter is coming!

Winter may be coming, but GOT is a year+ away!  Anyway, I digress ...

Quiet few months riding wise for us.  We have managed a minimum of 1 ride per week EVERY week so far, but the temps are dropping colder, and the dark is coming on faster.  3 weeks ago, we finally went more than 60 miles!  Our default ride seems to be 55-70 miles.  We headed west and went through the Big South Fork Rec area, then up into KY for a little.  Dropped back down into TN by way of I-75 and got stuck in HELLISH traffic :( 

We headed out towards Oakridge and went steadily North towards the KY/TN border.  The Big South Fork area is soooo beautiful!  It's a haven for hikers and kayakers, and for motorcyclists! 

I love that ride because it's more country side type riding vs. mountain riding or straightaways.  It's nice, easy curvy roads with not too much elevation.  There are a few wicked turns and twists, and the road was every bit as challenging as I remember it being, but where as I was a little bit intimidated last time, now I felt light years more confident!

Khaleesi is such an amazing machine.  As she has broken in, I love her every bit as much now as I did that first time I sat on her in the church parking lot.  Turns are effortless, the ergonomics are perfect, and there is power to spare.

Surprisingly, we were a few weeks away from peak color; it started out as a brisk morning, but the day warmed up beautifully.  We got a bit of a late start because I wanted to dart into Cycle Gear to get some warmer gloves (which I didn't even need ... my hands started to SWEAT in them).  Normally, we're on the road by 7/8:00.  Today, it was more like 10:00. 

KY was different to ride in ... the particular area we were in actually wasn't that special.  It just happened to be the area we ended up in on David's chosen route, but I still really enjoyed myself.  Not a whole lot of particularly challenging roads; no Snake, or Dragon, or Rattler ... we did hit one or two roads that at the end, we pulled up beside each other and laughed with joy.  To me, that's a perfect ride!

I no longer critique my every move.  Khaleesi and I move as one most of the time.  I don't stall her, I don't have issues or problems turning left or right, and my tight right hand switchbacks?  No longer an issue :)  My back does get tired after about 200 miles; I feel like I'd really like reduced reach handlebars.  My upgrades wish list is floorboards, highway bars, Daymaker headlight, light bar with baby Daymakers, upgraded pipes, a custom seat, and reduced reach handlebars.  Not the kitchen sink!  My total mileage is around 7500 miles ... my goal is 10K+ in my first year.  I've got until April to make that goal!

After about 200ish miles, we were both starting to fade a little.  It was getting late, it was Sunday which means no "day of rest", and even though our track was fun, I knew what was to come, and it was about 3 more hours. That was when we decided to jump on I-75 S ... and hit total roadblock!  I lasted about 20 minutes of sitting there in 2-5 mph traffic, and I was DYING.  Khaleesi was blowing out leg blistering heat, and my left hand was cramping so badly I was reaching over to hold the clutch with my right hand.  I told David I HAD to get off that damn interstate. 

We finally did, found a back road that was decently fun, wound our way back to the interstate, and blasted back home.  I went through my least favorite spaghetti interchange of I-40 through Knoxville, and we pulled into the garage about ... 7:15.  It was a gorgeous day ... cool start, but ended up low 70's.  300 miles total, felt SOOOO good! 

2 60 miler rides, then 100 miles to be detailed soon!