My 4th

[tommymck_imp]

The good news is that it's been dry (finally) in Maryland. The bad news is that I've gone from ATGATT to MoTGWIC (most of the gear, when it's convenient...) It's been hot.... Real hot... And humid... Not riding in t-shirt and shorts, but not as much gear as usual.

This isn't much in comparison with Cormonus' posts, but....

1. Wifey was out of town, so I spent the morning of the 4th doing my first service on the CB (better late than never). If I'd bothered to read the posts here I wouldn't have been surprised. But some he-man on the Honda assembly line evidently used his Bruce Banner strength to torque down on the filter when the bike was assembled. My standard wrap-around wrench didn't do the trick. Fortunately, Advanced Auto Parts was open, and with filter in hand, I found that a fixed 65mm wrench was just the ticket. Changed the oil / filter, lubed the chain, gave the bike a good going over, and back in service.

2. After the oil change on the morning of the 4th, I vowed to ride all three bikes an equal amount of time. I picked three destinations in opposite directions, each about an hour away. First up was the Speedmaster,. Headed out over the bay bridge, found a town on the Eastern Shore and grabbed a crab cake sandwich. What a wonderful bike with a wonderful vibe. Still and all, the feet-forward position with the beach bars puts a bit of stress on the back at highway speeds. Thinking of moving the controls back. We'll see.

3. Next up was my old and trusty BMW R1200C. Since my new bikes, it's been a couple of months since I've taken it out. I describe this bike as "fitting me like a glove". Well...my initial reaction was "man, this thing handles like a pig!". I still love the position and controls (the bike is very comfortable) but power delivery, gearing and overall handling? I guess things have come a long way in 20 years and I just never realized it. I still love the looks, and after a half-hour cruising the back roads north of Baltimore, I was used to it again... and I'll never get rid of this bike... But it's probably relegated to short fun jaunts down memory lane.

4. Took the CB via back roads west towards Frederick, MD. Smooth as silk, handled like a dream, comfortable throughout, and at every pit stop, somebody commented about the bike. At every pit-stop, I had people asking what year, and if I did my own restoration. I never really realized how much folks 55 and above have a connection with CB750s. Rode back towards home, stopped at a local park to walk along the bay, and back home in time to watch to fireworks from the pier while fishing. Pretty nice holiday...

I stink at taking pictures in the moment, but here are a few random ones....








I should say with this one, that my Arai Defiant was getting older, so I got this new one... What a great and quiet helmet. Highly recommended for anybody who is concerned about helmet noise...