Notes from the Sticks

Daily Rituals and Riding

Our dogs are demanding of food, attention, and walks. They express those needs in various ways, usually quietly and patiently, but they do not forget. At times I wish I was more like them. Diligent in focus and caring for my needs.

Spring brings with it a raft of extra duties and chores which requires some balancing acts to make sure things don’t fall through the cracks. Things are finally slowing down though not without some failures to find time or energy to embrace certain things. Like riding, making YouTube videos, or posting here.

As a friend reminds me, I do this for fun and purposes of self discovery. They aren’t jobs and I don’t have to do any of it. Still, things feel a little off when I neglect those outlets.

Dogs Want to Walk

I feel the urge to ride when I see someone on a scooter or motorcycle. I ran into my friend Paul at the Pump Station Cafe. He was going for a ride. I was walking the dogs. It’s good for the dogs and good for me. As a heart attack survivor I can’t neglect the need to stay in motion and maintain some level of cardio-fitness.

Still, I feel the urge to abandon everything and set out on a scooter or motorcycle.

Moto-Gratitude and Responsibilities

I love riding everything in my garage. Each has its own unique characteristics and capabilities and I can choose the most appropriate for the ride I think may unfold. I’m grateful for the choices I have.

With the menu of machines comes the increased responsibilities to keep everything safe, running, and reliable. The Himalayan’s ABS system seemed to be acting up and before resigning myself to hauling it a hundred miles to the dealer for service I thought I would attempt to remedy the problem myself.

Chipmunks, Peanuts, and Problem Fuses.

My first stop to fix the ABS was to check the fuses. I could not find my fuse extractor tool so I figured I could carefully remove the fuses with my fumbling fingers. And sure enough, down into the airbox it went.

I’m generally chill about serious problems. But little things, well, they bring out my evil little inner child.

Turns out it was a good thing to open up the air box. It had visitors. Specialized motorcycle maintenance.

Time to Clean the Air Filter

It’s amazing how many peanuts you can jam into a Himalayan. We stopped putting them outside for the squirrels and chipmunk almost a year ago. They must have forgotten the stash in the motorcycle. I’ve found them in the garage, in the Vespa, in our cars, in our basement. No more peanuts in the shell.

But the event did provide the chance to check the air filter, and I did determine that a little corrosion on a fuse stem caused the ABS problem. All is now well.

Next up — four of the machines are in need of their annual Pennsylvania Vehicle Safety Inspection. That bit of business will consume about eight hours of my life. At least some will involve riding to the dealer or mechanic though. A glimmer of sunshine in the current rainy weather.

The level of motorcycle maintenance is worth it though for a diversity of riding experiences.