Today, it finally happened. After the title hassle here in WA, then getting sick for over a week, I finally got to take my motorcycle out today for its first ride – albeit a short ride (did not want to push my luck with still being a bit sick). That is one hella powerful machine – so much torque when you lay into it even just a little bit. It is going to take some time getting used to it, but it felt great today. Accelerates very fast, rides nice, sounds great, is comfortable, and I think we are going to be spending quite a lot of time together.

I have been looking at rides in this area on the internet the last hour or so. There seems to be several nice trips (some of which I saw on the way up here in September), plus a few up in Canada when the weather gets a little warmer. I could even ride up to Alaska from here if I got the motivation to do so. I would really like to do a long trip at some point, too. It would be cool to go across country and get to the last three Continental US states I have not been to: Maine, Vermont, and New Hampshire (that would leave Hawaii as the only state left to visit and I will have been to all 50!). I would also like to visit the Canadian Maritime Provinces as well while over there.

I noticed gas prices are climbing fast again (cheapest I saw was $3.67 two days ago), so this is going to save me some gas money as well. It gets almost three times the mileage as my car.

But, before all of that ambitiousness I have to get used to riding again, and riding and learning about this particular bike as well. One guy I saw in the parking lot of the Refuge was a multiple-cycle owner and was drooling over it. He said that it would easily run at least 100,000 miles.

That means I have at least 82,000 to go. I cannot wait!