After years of waiting, I can finally say that I have ridden a motorcycle on the road. I got a bit fed up with waiting for my jacket, which turned out to be on back-order, so I went back to the dealership and bought a different one. Now all I'm waiting for are some riding boots, but my hiking boots will do until those come in next week.
Today's ride took place as the sun was setting and the temperature was dropping to a brisk 103 degrees. But even in the leather jacket and full helmet, I wasn't hot at all thanks to their great ventilation. It's so rare to see riders wearing any protective gear other than a helmet here, probably due to the temperature. I'm glad that I'll be able to cope with the heat while still maximizing my own protection.
One thing that surprised me a bit was how little power the bike actually has. Sure, it can out-accelerate cars and trucks, but not with ease. I really have to open the throttle nearly fully in the lower gears to experience any notable acceleration. Perhaps this is why riders tend to outgrow 250 cc bikes so quickly. Still, I had no problem maintaining 45 mph and have no intention of really going that much faster as a part of my daily commute. Tomorrow I plan on taking a trip from my home to the university and back so I can get a feel for the busier roads and to find the motorcycle parking spots on campus.
Oh, and here's a picture my wife took of me before the ride. She helped make sure I was safe by following me in the car today.
Friday, August 26, 2011
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
And Now for Something Completely Different
The last few weeks have been pretty hectic, which has caused me to ignore my blog for longer than I had hoped. But now I find myself a bit stranded for a few hours at school with little to do, so I figured that I'd make a post about what I've been up to.
Last week I moved to a different (and much hotter) state for graduate school. The move went well as my wife and I had no troubles with the movers and our things arrived on time and in perfect condition. We still have plenty of unpacking to do, though. We both like our new place, but we've had a couple of problems during our first week here. First, we learned just how annoying monopolies can be. This city has only a single gas company and that company refused to turn on our gas unless we were present. But of course they don't schedule any specific time slot to show up, just some time between 7am and 5pm. We missed them the first time they came out and were without hot water for a few days. Luckily, the weather is hot enough here that even a "cold" shower is warm enough to be tolerable. Second, our air conditioner broke two nights ago. But thanks to our good property management company, we were provided a temporary mobile A/C unit and my wife reports that the central air was repaired this morning.
My wife and I also managed to find jobs faster than expected. She got a music teaching gig at a large music studio in town and I am in the middle of the process of getting a research assistantship. I met with a potential adviser yesterday and was very pleased with her research and personality. I still need to check out a couple more potential advisers and may enter a lab rotation for this semester to help ensure that I end up with a group that best fits me.
This is the first week of classes and I'm very pleased with the quality of the few lectures I've had so far. It seems that this university places a higher emphasis on teaching than my undergrad. My wife is starting classes tomorrow and will be taking a math placement exam today that has been stressing her out for quite some time. I'm sure she'll do fine and besides, she can always tell the professor that she lives with an engineer who can provide plenty of tutoring.
Finally, the most important update of all is that I'm picking up my new motorcycle today: a Honda CBR250R. After having a motorcycle license for over 4 years, I'm finally getting a bike. I'm planning on using this for my daily commute, which is about 30 minutes to and from the university. Since the weather is above 60 degrees year-round, I shouldn't have to resort to using my car very often. Plus parking is about 1/6 the price for a motorcycle and this thing gets nearly 80 MPG! If I'm not riding during most of my free time, I should be able to post regularly again.
Last week I moved to a different (and much hotter) state for graduate school. The move went well as my wife and I had no troubles with the movers and our things arrived on time and in perfect condition. We still have plenty of unpacking to do, though. We both like our new place, but we've had a couple of problems during our first week here. First, we learned just how annoying monopolies can be. This city has only a single gas company and that company refused to turn on our gas unless we were present. But of course they don't schedule any specific time slot to show up, just some time between 7am and 5pm. We missed them the first time they came out and were without hot water for a few days. Luckily, the weather is hot enough here that even a "cold" shower is warm enough to be tolerable. Second, our air conditioner broke two nights ago. But thanks to our good property management company, we were provided a temporary mobile A/C unit and my wife reports that the central air was repaired this morning.
My wife and I also managed to find jobs faster than expected. She got a music teaching gig at a large music studio in town and I am in the middle of the process of getting a research assistantship. I met with a potential adviser yesterday and was very pleased with her research and personality. I still need to check out a couple more potential advisers and may enter a lab rotation for this semester to help ensure that I end up with a group that best fits me.
This is the first week of classes and I'm very pleased with the quality of the few lectures I've had so far. It seems that this university places a higher emphasis on teaching than my undergrad. My wife is starting classes tomorrow and will be taking a math placement exam today that has been stressing her out for quite some time. I'm sure she'll do fine and besides, she can always tell the professor that she lives with an engineer who can provide plenty of tutoring.
Finally, the most important update of all is that I'm picking up my new motorcycle today: a Honda CBR250R. After having a motorcycle license for over 4 years, I'm finally getting a bike. I'm planning on using this for my daily commute, which is about 30 minutes to and from the university. Since the weather is above 60 degrees year-round, I shouldn't have to resort to using my car very often. Plus parking is about 1/6 the price for a motorcycle and this thing gets nearly 80 MPG! If I'm not riding during most of my free time, I should be able to post regularly again.
Thursday, August 18, 2011
Short update
I'm still alive and well. My long hiatus is due to my recent move and will unfortunately continue a little while longer as I will not have Internet at home until next week. I hope to continue posting regularly at that time.
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