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Well. It is time to hang it up. I didn't have an accident or anything like that, but I am well into my seventh decade, and it seemed prudent.
I am reminded of something related to the present circumstances that happened 16 riding years ago. Not long after I met Ryan, the fellow who gave me some tips and pointers on riding, he invited me to go on a group ride with some men he knew. The rider I ended up following was a fellow named Don. He rode well.
He was 73 years old. That was in March of 2008 when I was 58 years old and was just beginning to ride. I thought to myself that maybe some day I would still be riding at that age.
...and so it has been: almost 16 years of riding this bike, the only one I have ever owned besides that minibike from my teen years.
Here is a little more of the history.
Since I had never ridden a motorcycle, I took the Motorcycle Safety Foundation Basic Riders Class in late September 2007. I did well enough to pass. Meanwhile, I had spotted a 2006 Kawasaki Ninja 650R for sale about 38 miles from home. It was almost new with 640 miles on it, but the owner and his wife were expecting and they needed to cut expenses. Even better, the bike was a color scheme I liked: silver cowlings on red frame.
I took the South Carolina licensing exam in June of 2008, and passed with room to spare. Periodically, over all the years I rode, I would practice on the test layout at the DMV, especially the tight turns and quick stops.
I ended up riding this same bike for just a few miles less than 77,000. I had taken the bike out of the garage 905 times during that time. (I am an engineer, so I had kept track of these things on a spreadsheet, of course.)
I first started writing this blog in January of 2009. I have written about places to visit, things to see, odd facts, routes, bike maintenance, riding skills, riding gear, occasional excursions off paved roads, and lots of other things that I was interested in or had learned, and that I thought some others might enjoy hearing about. I made some postings to a couple of the online tag games on ADVrider. I took several Memorial Day weekend trips to the Rally to Ridgecrest in Black Mountain North Carolina -- each a thoroughly enjoyable and inspiring time.
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I did all of the mechanical and electrical work except tire changes. There were easy tasks like oil changes, mounting a GPS and powering it up, sprocket and chain replacement, and air filter cleaning, but also more involved things like water pump seals, fuel pump replacement, stator replacement, and valve clearance adjustment. The bike never let me down in all those miles.
I always rode with a full suit, helmet, gloves, boots, back, knee, hip, and shoulder armor. I never could understand why people would ride without all that protective gear. I felt very unsafe without any piece of it, even though I was a very conservative rider.
I posted an ad on Facebook marketplace, and entertained a few lookers. A young fellow came along who bought it despite the high mileage, seeing that it had been well-maintained. I gave him all my spare parts, some tools, and extra fluids. I think his intent was to immediately resell it -- at a profit, I'm sure he hoped.
So I am sans bike now. The place in the garage that it occupied is now used for access my workbench. I am selling off the rest of my riding gear, my Hippo hands for winter comfort, some leather riding suits, rain gear, and some other small items.
Fittingly, my last ride took place on August 8, 2023, to Whitewater Falls and the Bad Creek overlook on Lake Jocassee. I say fittingly because I made more trips to Whitewater Falls than anywhere else. The road, SC-130 north from SC-11, contains a nice mix of curves that are not too challenging, and are quite enjoyable.
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I may occasionally make additional posting here, probably about current events or something new about motorcycling.
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Good riding to you all!
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