The Blog of Blues

Message
Author
blues2cruise
Moderator
Moderator
Posts: 10182
Joined: Fri Apr 22, 2005 4:28 pm
Sex: Female
Years Riding: 16
My Motorcycle: 2000 Yamaha V-Star 1100
Location: Vancouver, British Columbia

#811 Unread post by blues2cruise »

Nalian wrote:Congrats! :D

Are you going to get an open faced or flip faced do you think?
Probably a flip face.....then I won't have to change helmets from the parking lot to the road.

I have to find time to write the story.....How does life get so busy sometime?

I need to learn to say no...... :roll:
Image

User avatar
Lion_Lady
Moderator
Moderator
Posts: 1884
Joined: Wed Nov 03, 2004 6:44 am
Real Name: Pam
Sex: Female
Years Riding: 20
My Motorcycle: 2013 BMW R1200R 90th Anniversary
Location: Lynchburg, VA

#812 Unread post by Lion_Lady »

blues2cruise wrote:Thank you....it is a relief to give my brain and body a rest today. This morning I'm lazing, drinking latte's....
Later today I'll pack my things and head home. I'll have a chance to write about the practical test day then.

I need to buy a new helmet for the purpose of teaching on the range.....the full face makes it too difficult for communication.

CONGRATULATIONS!!


To that end, I got a 3/4 helmet for the range (Scorpion). My "regular" helmet still had some years in it when I got certified, and I couldn't justify buying another ($$$) helmet at the time.

I leave the range helmet in the bike storage trailer for the two days. It fits in my side case (barely) for transport.

P
Courage in women is often mistaken for insanity - Alice Paul

blues2cruise
Moderator
Moderator
Posts: 10182
Joined: Fri Apr 22, 2005 4:28 pm
Sex: Female
Years Riding: 16
My Motorcycle: 2000 Yamaha V-Star 1100
Location: Vancouver, British Columbia

Me and CCRyder in victoria

#813 Unread post by blues2cruise »

May 23 to June 5

2 weeks of motorcycle mayhem. (aka instructor school)

Week One.

I think I may have mentioned before how difficult it is to get into an instructor course. All the motorcycle schools around here will only teach instructors that they plan to hire to work for them. That in itself would be ok except….they expect you to work for them for three years. They will charge next to nothing to take the course and in return you work for crummy wages to work off the cost of the course. I actually did try all the schools, however….either they were full (ICBC allows only 4 people per class) or they wanted people with many years riding experience. It did not matter to them that I had experience as a trainer already….they wanted people with more than 30,000km under their belt. (I had 30,000km at the time)
So-o-o-o……I had to go out of town for 2 weeks.

It was a very expensive 2 weeks. The course cost $3500, the ferry both ways and extra gas and food etc….and a 2 week loss of pay. Thankfully I have a friend over in Victoria I was able to stay with.

My friends Doc and CC accompanied me to Victoria for the day trip on the Saturday. They got to meet my friend and vice versa. After I unloaded my gear and spent some social time, the 3 of us rode around and to see a few sights and then went for late lunch.

Here are CC and me.
Image

And then me and CC and the women at the restaurant. (I got doc to take the picture)


Image



I then escorted them to the highway so they could ride up island to Nanaimo for the ferry home from there.



I did a ride through Esquimalt to reacquaint myself with the location of the school. I had lots of time to myself because my friends were out at a wedding and would not be home until late.
They left early Sunday for a few days so I had the house to myself most of the time. Their adult daughter came and went ..mostly went……
I rode from my friend’s place to the school on Sunday so I would know how much time to allow getting to the school on Monday. I had a frustrating hour trying to maneuver around the one way streets and restriction signs until I finally figured out how to get there.

Monday morning. Up early and out the door….sigh…..I got lost again. However, due to the early time I left and the closeness of the school. I was on time.

I got to meet the school owner/instructor and the other 3 students. We all did a brief intro (none of us were local...well J was almost local. He had over an hour to commute back and forth each day);and then the teacher got to work. Day 1, 2,3,4,5 were all very intense classroom work. We wrote tests and prepared lesson plans…(in between going for coffee and lunch breaks)

Here we are after day 1.

Image

Image

Yes, we were rather a motley crew. :lol:

It was hard getting them to cooperate...ie...all look in the same direction for a second or 2. :lol:



Day 5 we had to do a practical.
3 of us passed. The 4th person was going to do his practical again on Monday. Apparently you get three chances. His biggest problem was his nervousness. He knew the material.


After class on Friday three of us went for a ride. Our first stop was the parking lot where we would be convening on Monday morning. Mr. Kawasaki Concours was not paying attention to the road signs and got us into the wrong lane. I had been to Victoria enough times that I was able to lead them another route to Ogden Point. After checking out that location we stopped into the dive centre café for a bite to eat. When we were finished I led them on a little tour of Beacon Hill, Oak Bay via the ocean view overlooking the Olympic peninsula.

Here is one stop along the way.

Image

Image

Image

Image


We finally parted ways at the university district after a couple of hours of good camaraderie. HD man (who failed) and I made an arrangement to meet on Sunday so he could practice his lesson plan.

I was looking forward to a nice relaxing weekend off.

Saturday I rode out to Langford to the Harley Davidson dealer. (He happens to be my cousin). Wow…what a big new place.

He showed me around and then his sister and Dad showed up. What a great coincidence. I had planned to go visit my uncle, but now he was here. So…I took another tour around the place so we could chat while he toured.
He told me that when he was a young man he had a delivery job using a Harley Davidson with a sidecar. It was he who got his sons into motorcycling. The old guy still likes them. His walker has a huge Harley Davidson sticker on it. :lol:

I rode home via Goldstream. It looked like a really nice community. After getting back into Victoria I parked my bike downtown. I visited the big local bookstore and bought a couple of motorcycle books. Then went for ice cream and then shopped for a birthday present. I was standing by my motorcycle when the parking enforcement guy came by. He was relieved to see I had a Yamaha. LOL…..He has one. He chatted for about a half hour before he went on to check parking meters. I’d bet a few people got a reprieve from a ticket that day just because he was yakking to me.

I finally went home. I made some supper and then soaked in the hot tub and watched a little TV.

Sunday I called HD man. He was on his way home. He had some sudden health issue and the doctor told him to get to a hospital. So, he went home instead so that he could be seen by his own doctor. He ended up in the hospital for a few days. They think he had a small stroke. Cripes…..it’s fortunate he didn’t have an episode while riding home from the island.

So for week 2, the three of us carried on for a grueling week during a record breaking heat wave.

Week 2 coming soon.
Image

blues2cruise
Moderator
Moderator
Posts: 10182
Joined: Fri Apr 22, 2005 4:28 pm
Sex: Female
Years Riding: 16
My Motorcycle: 2000 Yamaha V-Star 1100
Location: Vancouver, British Columbia

#814 Unread post by blues2cruise »

I saw this sign at a Skytrain station yesterday. (Skytrain is similar to some metro systems only on a smaller scale)

I took this as a positive sign that will make people see that motorcycling is a good thing. I'm guessing that soon the company behind this will be revealed.

Image
Image

User avatar
fireguzzi
Site Supporter - Bronze
Site Supporter - Bronze
Posts: 2248
Joined: Fri Aug 20, 2004 3:00 pm
Real Name: Trevor
Sex: Male
Years Riding: 12
My Motorcycle: dream bike (really, it's in my dreams)
Location: Covington, Georgia

#815 Unread post by fireguzzi »

Hi Blues
Looks like the silhouette of a sportster. But I guess that doesn't necessarily mean it's Harley related.
[img]http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f101/fireguzzi/papabarsig.jpg[/img]

User avatar
MZ33
Site Supporter - Silver
Site Supporter - Silver
Posts: 814
Joined: Sat Nov 03, 2007 10:57 am
Sex: Female
Years Riding: 3
My Motorcycle: fabulous 2008 Kawi Versys
Location: Columbus, OH

#816 Unread post by MZ33 »

It is a brilliant bit of marketing, whoever it is! I don't suppose a national motorcycle organization did it, but I wish they had.
[img]http://i39.tinypic.com/16jla1l.jpg[/img]

___________________________________
Civility and democracy both require effort.

blues2cruise
Moderator
Moderator
Posts: 10182
Joined: Fri Apr 22, 2005 4:28 pm
Sex: Female
Years Riding: 16
My Motorcycle: 2000 Yamaha V-Star 1100
Location: Vancouver, British Columbia

#817 Unread post by blues2cruise »

fireguzzi wrote:Hi Blues
Looks like the silhouette of a sportster. But I guess that doesn't necessarily mean it's Harley related.
I think you may be right about it being a Sportster. There was a Sportster that came into our practic range today. It looked just like the shape on the sign.
Image

blues2cruise
Moderator
Moderator
Posts: 10182
Joined: Fri Apr 22, 2005 4:28 pm
Sex: Female
Years Riding: 16
My Motorcycle: 2000 Yamaha V-Star 1100
Location: Vancouver, British Columbia

#818 Unread post by blues2cruise »

Day 2 of working with the motorcycle school today was very successful.
Yesterday the noob asked how to get on the bike.....today she passed her skills test. :mrgreen:
She wanted to quit early again and go home because had a defeatist attitude....I encouraged her to finish the day.
she left feeling quite elated. I left feeling tired.....and satisfied for a job well done.
:D
Image

User avatar
Social Distortion
Legendary 300
Legendary 300
Posts: 394
Joined: Mon Nov 14, 2005 5:34 pm
Sex: Male
My Motorcycle: 2004 triumph thruxton
Location: Chicago

#819 Unread post by Social Distortion »

cool stuff Blues
i miss my 650...old reliable...
i love my triumph, but it gives me fits...
way to go!
"Born to Lose and Destined to Fail"

blues2cruise
Moderator
Moderator
Posts: 10182
Joined: Fri Apr 22, 2005 4:28 pm
Sex: Female
Years Riding: 16
My Motorcycle: 2000 Yamaha V-Star 1100
Location: Vancouver, British Columbia

#820 Unread post by blues2cruise »

Social Distortion wrote:cool stuff Blues
i miss my 650...old reliable...
i love my triumph, but it gives me fits...
way to go!
Thanks. One day I hope to miss my 650, but in the meantime I will continue to love it. :)
Image

Post Reply