Searching For The Elusive Tulip Fields

Today promised to be one of the warmest and driest days we’ve had this year. I was ready to take a good long motorcycle ride after so many continuous days of rain and cold temperatures.

This time of year in Washington’s Skagit Valley is the annual Tulip Festival. More tulips are grown here than any other U.S. location. There are also daffodils and other bulbs blooming for a continuous 3 weeks or so. It is a giant tourist attraction, attracting bus loads full of people. The area is quite large with fields of various colors so striking it takes your breath away. Or so they say……..

The Victory and the Vulcan decided to take a ride up North to see just what we’ve always heard about. After all, it is the warmest and sunniest and best riding day this year. We expected to see other motorcyclists out in droves. They were.

We left home and started up I-5 until we got near Mt. Vernon, where you could take side roads and go out towards the fields. The traffic going north was slow from the time we entered the highway. It took us an hour to get through Everett, which should have been 15 minutes. It was hot, and creeping/stopping at about 5-10 mph for many miles. My left hand got very sore manipulating the clutch constantly.

We finally made our way further north and into Mt. Vernon, where we decided to catch a bite to eat. We found a great little Mexican restaurant where there were lots of Spanish speaking families eating there and very friendly waitresses. The food was very good with a homemade quality to it.

The town of Mt. Vernon was packed with traffic. Every street we tried to take was gridlocked with traffic. It was not fun anymore. It was also hot with our jacket liners still in from the cooler weather. We could see off in the distance that there was a bridge we needed to cross and still couldn’t see the tulip fields. Traffic was not moving at all and I decided that was it.

We turned around, headed towards the interstate, and cruised home at 70 mph most of the way. It felt good to be moving. The whole interstate heading north was creeping along for 50 miles or so almost at a standstill.

I was worn out when I got home, just from fighting the wind, bumpy freeway under construction, and the weight of the bike. We rode a total of 114 miles, which took us 4 hours. It was a nice ride partly through side roads and farmland, but no tulips to be seen. I know now why I haven’t tried to go up there all these years I’ve lived in Washington.

The Dreaded Kawasaki Vulcan Recall

Usually I am anxious to go out and check my mailbox each day to see what the Postman has brought me. Yesterday, he brought me the dreaded letter from Kawasaki. I opened it with reluctance.

I had been given a 'heads up' by a fellow blogger, the "Joker". He had commented last week that there might be a recall on my '07 Kawasaki Vulcan 900 Classic. He was right. It affects all '06 to '08 Kawasaki Vulcan 900 Classic, Custom, and Classic LT models.

The letter says that my bike might have a problem with the fuel hose connection to the fuel injector delivery pipe. The hose could come off, creating a fuel leak resulting in fire or explosion that could cause injury or death. Great!

I am told: DO NOT OPERATE YOUR MOTORCYCLE.
STORE YOUR MOTORCYCLE IN A WELL VENTILATED AREA AWAY FROM SOURCE OF IGNITION.

Now I am to call my dealer and schedule an appointment to have it checked. I don't know how they think I am supposed to get it there if I can't ride it.

The frustrating thing to me is that I just had it into the dealer's the week before the 'official' recall date for its first oil change and maintenance. I think my dealership knew about the recall at that time, but couldn't check it then. It pisses me off that I will have to take it back in, schedule an appointment at a place that usually can't get you in for a week or more, and then hope it doesn't need a part or something that they don't have in stock. It's getting riding weather, Man.

Happy Valentine's Day to Me

I knew the sun was going to come out today and I would be able to ride my favorite motorcycle to work. I went to sleep thinking about it last night. Since I hadn’t ridden to work lately, I had to plan what layers of warmth I would need, especially since it would be warmer coming home in the afternoon.

It was slightly above freezing when I backed my bike out of the garage and started her up. She smoked and coughed, but then began purring smoothly.

The ride was great, the sun was coming out, but it was pretty chilly. By the time my 20 minutes of riding was almost over, my fingers started feeling the cold. I had a few vents open in my helmet, but my face-shield kept getting fogged up on the inside. I ended up opening it slightly so it would stay clear, and soon found I actually liked the feeling of the cold air in my face.

My co-worker also rode in today, and his commute is about 35 miles each way. He has heated grips so has a small advantage against the cold. We made our own ‘motorcycle parking’ area today.

I passed many bikes out this morning doing exactly what I was. Each bike I passed waved because we were all so happy to be out again, even in the cold. The pavement was completely dry and I didn’t run into many gravelly spots. I was on well travelled roads most of the way.

The ride home was comfortable but the air was still frigid. I wanted to keep riding somewhere besides home, but it is Valentine’s Day and I wanted to be home to await my surprise (I’m dreaming) It was so refreshing to be out in the fresh air, and I had missed the rumble of my Vulcan. I’m very comfortable with the size of the bike now, but I still have to wear my highest biker boots to be able to push off the ground.

This coming weekend looks a little warmer than today (maybe will reach 50!) and partly sunny. Guess what I will be doing? I also have Presidents Day Monday off work, and it is likely to be a riding kind of day. Things are looking up!

Easy Peasy Home Installation of the Vulcan Engine Guard

When I bought my new Kawasaki Vulcan 900 Classic, I ordered an engine guard from the dealer as an accessory, along with the Vulcan windshield. After waiting and calling for a month the windshield finally came in. They failed to call, so it was a couple weeks later that I called to find it had arrived. I installed the windshield and you can read about it here.

So, they assured me that when the engine guard came in I would again get a call. I finally called early this year and they had my part. They also had a bogus phone number for me. I drove the 40 miles or so and picked it up. When I got home and opened the box, there were two bolts in a plastic bag. One was stripped at the end.

They were a hex-flange bolt and a size you couldn't find just anywhere. We looked everywhere we could think of that sold bolts. Dave finally stopped at a place on his way home one day called ‘Tacoma Screw’. They had ‘almost’ the perfect bolt. The hex head was a little smaller, but it worked just fine.

I decided to install the guard last weekend, since it was way too cold to ride. I even closed the garage so it would be warmer inside while I worked. It was in the 30’s outside. As I worked with the icy-cold tubular chrome guard, my hands became very chilled. It was hard to feel the threads engage as I added each nut to its bolt and tried to finger-tighten it. I could hardly make my fingers do what I wanted them to do.

It’s a good thing that it was pretty easy and didn’t take a lot of work. Add a few bolts and clamps, tighten here and there, and then apply torque on 2 of them.

I think it looks good.



I came home at lunch today since I work only 15 minutes away. The sun was out and it was 39 degrees. It’s been nice and clear and sunny for days, but only in the low 30’s. I couldn’t bring myself to bundle up and get out there. Today I decided to go for it. The weather was as warm as it was going to get, and we have rain and snow in the forecast for the weekend.

I hadn’t tried out the bike since I added the engine guard. I’m always conscious of the added weight so was wondering if it would handle differently. I rode the Vulcan back to work and then home right before dark. I think it felt a little heavier on the turns, but otherwise I liked it and didn’t notice much difference in the way of handling.

Now that I’ve added enough accessories to the front of the bike, I will need to make some decisions about what I need on the rear to carry gear and stuff for a 3 or 4 day ride. I’m planning a ride down the coast this summer but have no way to carry anything on the bike. I find planning trips like this is very fun. I love poring over the maps and deciding what route we will take, having never been on any of the roads in question. That’s where the sense of adventure comes in.

My Vulcan wish list

Since I bought the stock ’07 Kawasaki Vulcan 900 Classic, I want to make it my own. I like the clean look of the bike without any accessories, but for practical reasons I need to get a few things. With the bike purchase I also ordered the Kawasaki windshield. It came in, and I picked it up last weekend. I am a little nervous that it will be too tall, since I am only 5’3”. I want it for wind resistance, but don’t want it to be so tall that if it rains I can’t see the road. I am putting it on tonight, so we’ll see. I also have an engine guard (crash bars) on order, but it is back-ordered from Kawasaki so could be a while before I see them.

I am toying with the idea of no saddlebags. I like them because it gives you something to carry things in, which otherwise have to go in a backpack for now. What I don’t like is the width they give to the bike, and the fact that you can’t really lock them. I definitely don’t like the look of hard locking side bags either. It’s all about the look…..

What I do like is the look of a tall sissy bar. Not the kind with a pad (standard Kawasaki) but a tall ‘easy rider’ kind of sissy bar. Maybe 18’’ tall or so would look OK. I haven’t found any online but will continue to look for a custom one that will fit my bike. Kawasaki also makes bungee hooks that go on the rear fender side chrome, but you can’t use them if you add a sissy bar. So they make you chose one or the other. It sounds like some creative thinking is in order.
My other option is the standard sissy bar (with pad) with the luggage rack behind. I just can’t imagine the rack being large enough to actually hold anything of size. I saw a picture of a bike with a round cylinder pack right behind the rider. It looked to be PVC and seemed you could fit a weekend’s worth of clothing in it. I looked online and came up with an even better idea on Cruiserbag.com. I love it. I think that is exactly what I need. It even has a built in backrest for the rider! This one is the large size. I'm thinking about the medium.




The options are endless, but I like the clean look of my bike as it is. I do not like carrying a backpack everywhere I go, and it won’t hold everything I would need on even a short trip. I really dislike a cluttered motorcycle and accessories are expensive. I plan to take it slow, see what is available and will meet my needs. By next season my ride should be ‘sweet’!

On the road again

Our Northwest weather has been cooperating lately, and the roads have been mostly dry and perfect for riding my new motorcycle.

Last week I rode my Suzuki S-40 down to Seattle where I purchased it. I left it off for its 4000 mile service and oil change. After all the trouble I had with it dying at a stop, even after being warm, the guys found nothing out of the ordinary. Spark plug looked good, as did everything else. So then I rode it back home Tuesday evening from Seattle to my home about 20 miles north. It was a chilly 40 degrees and the sun was going down as I rode. I had bundled up knowing that it was necessary lately to ride any distance. By the time I was about 2/3 home, I started getting chilled through. My mind was thinking about a fresh, warm fire in our woodstove at home. And a hot meal…..I hadn’t eaten dinner yet. That kept me going until I got the bike home. By then it was dark and I immediately went in and started a fire.

I rode the new Vulcan last weekend and put a couple hundred miles on it. I am becoming much more familiar and comfortable with the bike. My only hesitation is when I am entering or leaving a parking lot. I still have trouble rolling the bike back if there is any hump or slight imperfection in the surface I’m parked on. I started wearing my Harley boots ( I know, I don’t ride a Harley) because they have a higher raised heel and I have a little more leverage to push off with.

So far I have ridden the Vulcan to work as much as possible. Our mornings have been slightly above freezing, so I have come home at lunch time and ridden the bike back to work because it was sunny and I couldn’t pass up the opportunity. This time of year some days are just too cold and you want to be warm for the ride to work, as well as stop for my double tall non-fat latte on the way. I can’t do that when I am riding.


I love my new bike, but here are a couple of things I’ve noticed that are weird:

• The speedometer reads about 5 to 6 mph faster than I am really going. When I am pegging the bike at 60, I am really only going about 54 mph. This sucks, because I have to calculate in my head while I am riding and I don’t like to do that. I sure don’t want to be going slower than the speed limit!
  
  
• Almost all the chrome parts on the bike are plastic. You wouldn’t know by just looking, because they are done very well. But they’re PLASTIC.
  


• When you fill the tank with gas, the gas gauge needle doesn’t go all the way to Full. That makes it kind of useless. It is only a ‘suggestion’ of how much fuel you have. And by the way, the Vulcan 900 Classic takes Premium gas. Pretty expensive these days…..

These are the things I love:

• The floorboards. My feet are sitting on them and my legs are in the most comfortable position I feel like I could cruise forever and not be tired.
  
  
• The heel-toe shifter. I was a little hesitant but I absolutely love it. Shifting up with your heel is a very satisfying feeling……I don’t know why.
  
  
• I love the color and the look of my Vulcan. The sound makes me very happy too. I love to hear the low rumble that gets louder as I accelerate. It’s cool.
  
  
• The smooth handling and shifting make the Kawasaki Vulcan 900 Classic a pleasure to ride.

First few days with the new Vulcan 900 Classic

Tuesday I brought the new motorcycle home. We bought it at a dealership that was about 40 miles south of our home. Since it was such a large bike I was a little hesitant to ride it home in traffic for the first time. My husband decided to ride it home, taking any roads except the freeway. For the first 500 miles we have to take it easy and a long stretch of freeway riding was frowned upon by the dealer. It took Dave 2 hours to get it home, and by then I was sitting on my front porch along with the cats – waiting……..

He loved the ride but said his hand hurt from the stiff clutch in lots of stop-and-go traffic. So as soon as he arrived I hopped on the Vulcan for the first time. I was more comfortable riding around my neighborhood at first, where I knew the roads. I took off and rode around for about 30 minutes, stopping, shifting, turning etc. It handled great and I love the floorboards which allow a very comfortable riding position. The shifting was easy and smooth.

Yesterday I decided to ride the new bike to work and show it off. It was dark when I left home and pretty cold out (40 degrees). I rode down to the end of my street and at the stop sign promptly tipped it over. It landed propped up by the left floorboard so there was no damage. I couldn’t get it upright no matter what I tried. Cars were passing by and no one stopped to help. Finally a neighbor came down the street, stopped and helped me lift it upright again. I realized then that I am very vulnerable on this bike, and must plan every move ahead of time. I think I had been in neutral when trying to take off from the stop, instead of first gear. I turned, gunned the engine, and nothing happened except it tipped over. Once it began there was nothing I could do to stop it.

I rode on to work, and parked in a level space, I thought. At lunchtime I decided to ride a couple of miles to my old workplace to show the Vulcan off to friends there. The sun had not yet hit the space I was in, so it was wet, piled up with slippery leaves, and there was a slight hump in the back of the space that I had to roll over to get out. I found that I couldn’t roll it out of the space! My feet were slipping and sliding and the weight of the bike wouldn’t allow me to roll over the hump. I finally finessed my way out, eventually. Then I rode to see my friends and had no trouble. Later in the day I had an uneventful ride to a doctor appointment and then home safely.

I feel like I am learning all over again. The weight of the Vulcan is twice that of my Suzuki S-40. I think it will just take a little practice. I am finding my confidence is not what it was and I am hesitant to go certain places again. Hopefully it is just a matter of time until I ‘become one’ with my beautiful 2007 Kawasaki Candy Cardinal Red Vulcan 900 Classic. I’ll have pictures next time….