An Almost Perfect Weekend

All last week, packages of various sizes were arriving containing goodies for the new bike. Side racks for the Givi bags, the Givi bags and liners, a "Stealth" backrest, a tank bra, and a Kaoko throttle stop. My Christmas came a little early!

Saturday morning I stuffed the kid full of Dunkin Donutz and went to the garage. I opened my brand new, black chrome plated, gold lazer etched socket set (a gift from Home Despot for hosing up a fencing job) and got to work.

Givi makes really nice luggage, but damn their documentation is a joke. It was four grainy photos, and the instructions said (I kid you not) "Study photo A. Then study photos B, C, and D." Luckily, even I could figure out the installation, so the racks went on without too much trouble. They did send some pretty cheezy hardware, so I may be re-doing the job with stainless steel fasteners soon. Stuff rusts in Florida...who knew?

The Stealth backrest is a marvelous item. Simple and elegant, easy to install, EXCEPT when you've installed the Givi side racks. You have to uninstall the side racks, almost install the backrest, then re-install the side racks using an orthoscope. The scope is for taking your head out of your ass...you should have known the rack and backrest would conflict!

The tank bra looks like carbon fiber. I wish I had carbon fiber pants to wear to Daytona. CF is Sooo trendy these days! It was pretty easy to install, with only a 20% disassembly of the bike required.

The throttle stop is a requirement for me these days. I have carpal-tunnel syndrome and a f'd up right wrist, so it really helps. This one went on in about 10 minutes, and looks like a factory part. Once adjusted, you simply lay the right side of your hand over it while you roll on the throttle, and you're good to go. Do the opposite to "turn it off." Nice!

Sunday the youngster went to his Mom's, and I rode with my pal Christine out West to the giant sugar farms. They actually have dirt roads and stuff out there. I must say, the DL felt really good in those conditions. The suspension is perfect for the application; you get all the feedback you need without getting beat up. 200 miles later, I was ready for more. I can't wait to go up to the Ocala National Forest and run the bike there.