PHOTOGRAPHY PROJECT
... okay, first of all, i've extended the nature of my "olympus e-p1" project to include all my cameras ... for those of you who might be tiny bit disappointed at not seeing f/stop, shutter speed, i.s.o., and other data, all you need do is ask and i'll provide that information ...
... here it is, mid-way through our first major outing ... this morning i drove down to lewiston to talk to the dealer about the battery/charging issue/non-issue ... reading support group postings from other 650cs owners, i've decided that it's quite possible this machine is simply somewhat finicky in nature ... it needs perfect adherence to the listed startup sequence, and i'm beginning to suspect that before shutting off the ignition it needs to sit at idle for thirty seconds or so ... i told the service manager that i'd give it another week, if all this remains consistent then i'll know i'm correct ...
... after lewiston, i followed a compass heading to falmouth ... wandered several twisty back roads until i popped out onto the main street of yarmouth, then took route one down to the bmw dealership in falmouth ... bought some key blanks and an oil filter (ouch, my suspicions were confirmed concerning the prices of bmw parts), then did a high-speed run back to oakland, making it out to east pond just in time to help chuck and anne and joyce put the boat in for the summer ...
... 185 miles total ... absolutely no regard for gas mileage, i pushed hard on the back roads and cruised with traffic on the interstate ... during the second half of my ride i had to deal with rather severe wind conditions, too ... final tally, 63mpg ... i was most pleased, since i was prepared to be happy with 55mpg for this type of driving ... my bet: driving on the highway for "economy," i think i can get almost 70mpg out of this motorcycle ...
... single-cylinder "one-lunger," smooth is not the word most motorcyclists would use to describe the bike ... all up and down the rpm range there are various minor vibrations or harmonics, and when i crank down on the throttle the engine sounds like a lobster boat trying to clear the chop where the harbor channel leaves the breakwater ... but, coming from a single-cylinder 250cc machine, and before that a 125cc thumper, i find the bmw a delight to drive ... the 50hp is even more than i'd imagined, the bike responds crisply to my direction, and, as i said before, the seat seems quite possible a reverse clone of my own butt ...
... i'm not changing my mind about its looks, to the point that i'm thinking david robb was smoking an imac while he was making his first design sketches ... that's probably the reason i don't care much for the bike's styling, it is purely superficial and thus has no intrinsic connection to the nature of the machine it simply sits upon ... but i have to remind myself that i'm first and foremost a functionalist, and, so far, this motorcycle is doing exactly what i intended ...
... first round of luggage works perfect ... tried out side bags, no luck ... they just don't fit ... options are now: very expensive racks with quick-release bags (gorgeous, but at $500, ouch) ... a 60 liter form-fitted bag that is designed for bikes like this (not all that expensive, but a sort of "all or nothing" solution) ... or, two 10" round-bags nylon strapped alongside the above-pictured backpack bag ... latter solution is where i'm leaning, not very fancy but cost-effective, versatile, and functional ...
... that's about it ... exhausted ... chuck and anne served me supper ... oakland's corner store pizza, so i've got to make sure to take a stomach pill before i go to bed ... i'll close with a couple of shots of the features that make this bike a bit different: the single-cylinder 650 cc engine, the single-arm rear suspension, and the belt-drive ... (click on pictures to enlarge) ...
PHOTOGRAPHY PROJECT
PHOTOGRAPHY PROJECT