First ride 2022. Way too early to say it's the start of riding season, but at least I got in my first 100 miles this year.
Here's a look you don't usually see of Shenandoah National Park.
Today is full week after the last snow...yes, so far this winter really sucks! But the temps got up to 33 degrees, so I put down the guitar (my entertainment when the weather is horrible), put on the electrics and grabbed the keys.
Welcome to 2022.
It's only been a few weeks, but it felt so good to be riding again. Winter riding around here means endless cinders on pavement, which requires significantly more caution exercised everywhere, especially in the corners. There's occasional ice, and you want to stay out of the wet as much as possible. It contains corrosive salt, and since the day dawned at 18 degrees (f) it could be a wet ice which is really slippery. Still on the SAS there is no need to take the bike out of Sport mode. Even in areas needing caution the bike is always easily controlled in Sport and only becomes a fire breathing beast if you intentionally request it. It never, ever surprises you, feels jerky, or on/off. Just smooth and predictable. Like the satisfying roll on wheelie it gave me in 4th gear at 65mph. It was requested and provided as expected. I do love riding this bike. It stays for 2022.
I was at the dealership yesterday to scheduled the 18K service, which does include the valve check. Still about 1,800 miles before it's due, but I wanted to get it on the schedule. After talking to the service guy, I decided to go ahead and order a new chain and sprockets... a cost I never incurred on any Tenere. A bit early?...maybe. To be completely honest, I haven't thought much about the chain after installing the oiler. I couldn't even tell you what shape it's in. Beyond seeing if it looks loose, or dry, I pay it no attention at all. When the service guy said some people ignore a chain and can go through one in 10K miles, or some people are really good at keeping maintained and get somewhere around 20K (yes, I know my buddy V-Tom gets over 30K on his). I want to continue not thinking about my chain, so I bit the bullet, ordered $275 worth of KTM chain and sprockets and will continue to ignore them as much as possible. It's the price I must pay to have this level of enjoyment from my bike.
Looking forward to the bike getting ready for the year and someone else doing the work. That's a first for me, but going to try to enjoy that freedom. We'll see how that goes.
Yesterday I was at the dealership and saw this.
As the little tag on the turn signal says, it was expect to be already sold. It has only been at the dealership a few days and, not surprisingly someone was on the way to pick it up. What did shock me was the SAS I saw 5 weeks ago was still on the floor. I really didn't expect that. It gives a bit of confirmation to my speculation that so many want the SAR, when the SAS is actually the bike that provides what people can use. The R is sexy, it's awesome, it's insanely capable, the idea of it is exciting. It's the bike that first got me to go to a KTM dealership. Then DM threw a bucket of cold water on me and asked why I wasn't looking at the S. Well, yuck, that's not exciting. But it did get me to give an honest assessment of what I was looking to achieve with my next bike. In the end, DM's does of reality was exactly what I needed. In the meantime, my buddy, who got me considering the KTM, bought his SAR...then sold it a few months later saying it was just too brutal. I've ridden enough with FireDog to know our riding styles and skills are similar. Good chance I would have done the same. Thanks DM for saving me from myself.
Happy New Year!