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2020: What did you do to/with your NC700 today?

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I have a Russian girl living with us temporally. I was her fencing coach when she arrived in the US for high school and she has traveled to several national and international tournaments with my family. She will be starting at Notre Dame in August and is staying with us until we move her into her dorm.

Today I'll be giving her a ride on a motorcycle. It will be a first for her. She says she wants to learn to ride too.

Since mine has a Dale's Rack instead of a back seat, she'll get a ride on the back of my wife's NC700x which has the factory seat set up. But yesterday evening we went over all the controls, pushed them out of the garage so she could get a feel for the weight and controls, etc. Maybe she'll get a little lesson on my wife's bike after the ride? She can flat foot that bike and didn't have any problems pushing it around the drive.

I promised her mom that we'd stay on our local road, its about a mile long, dead end, very little traffic, one wide sweeping turn. It will give her a taste of what its like but this girl is one of the best saber fencers in the country right now, she was a top recruit for the Notre Dame team, and has defeated a US Olympian at the last competition so I can't really take chances with letting her get hurt. So her first ride on a motorcycle won't be zooming through traffic!
Yesterday Dasha got suited up in my wife's protective gear and we went out for a ride. Several low speed rides up and down the mile long road we live on. She is not only a world class saber fencer but she's also a skateboarder. Being a skateboarder she understands the lean-to-turn concept and she ended up being a good passenger. Wearing a Cardo Pack-Talk intercom equipped helmet we were able to chat back and forth so she was learning while riding in the rear position. We did 1 straight line run up to 60 and then back down, but most of riding was in the 20-30mph speed range.

Upon returning to the house I parked in the front lawn. I have a couple hundred feet of flat treeless lawn. We went over all the controls again. I set her off on a slow speed straight line. We repeated the simple straight line about a dozen times. She dropped the bike in the grass on its side a few times when coming to a stop. Typically onto the right side. A bit more instruction and I got her to tip her head left, while extending the left leg out, and keeping the right foot on the brake. Once she got that figured out she was managing much more controlled stops without drops.

She did ask me to take her out on the 'real roads' and I declined. Her mom gave me permission to ride on the private road we live on, nothing more. We will see if she is granted permission to take a longer ride today. If no permission arrives we will still likely repeat what we did, giving her a bit more practice in the lawn too.
 
I’m glad Dasha did well on the NC. A 500 pound motorcycle would be challenging for a beginner to learn on.
 
I’m glad Dasha did well on the NC. A 500 pound motorcycle would be challenging for a beginner to learn on.
My scooter has an electrical short. I’ve been trying to track that down but that was my original plan.
 
Most of the day was pretty nice for going any speed I wanted, fast or slow, due to no tourism heading to or from the Blackfeet Nation. Sweet. Did get up to 94F toward the end though, and that's was about the time I was getting into obstructionist tourist traffic. Some really pathetic cases out there! They need to stop and get a glass pipe next time they are through!

2020-07-30 11;18;20 by greenboy, on Flickr

2020-07-30 12;25;32 by greenboy, on Flickr

2020-07-30 13;26;40 by greenboy, on Flickr
I just looked at the weather page. 95*F in Kalispell, MT at 7pm. That’s nuts!
 
I just looked at the weather page. 95*F in Kalispell, MT at 7pm. That’s nuts!
Yeah, it hit earlier along the route and stuck around. Could be seeing a few more days of that; I'll probably sit some of that out ; }
 
I just looked at the weather page. 95*F in Kalispell, MT at 7pm. That’s nuts!
One thing that's worked out well is I have a discontinued Dainese product, the Norsorex armored "air" underlayer. Rather than wear my mesh pants with armor in their pockets, I wear the very breathable light Norsorex under the unarmored mesh pants. Not only is it cooler and more comfortable without binding, it slides against the pants for freer movement when otherwise there would be "sweat grabs" and clamminess. It also keeps the very pliable and vented Type 1 armor RIGHT where it belongs even when force is exerted on it laterally. I can wear these all day (16 hours anyway) without feeling in the least bit uncomfortable. I think I'll write letters to Dainese USA and Dainese Italy and ask them to bring the product back because eventually I will wear these out. They cost half of what Forcefield's product cost, and are a known factor, after all...
 
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Hit 97F today. Still, rode 165 miles, got up to 90 mph for a mile or so once, doused* with cool creek water for the hot wind period, did some walking, and probably got some good shots ... have to upload from the camera to see what I got.


* I have a cubish dousing cup I cut from a rubbing alcohol bottle that something else nests into perfectly
 
Today was interesting for bikes because I saw a Ducati, a few more BMWs, a few larger KTMs, a couple V-Stroms, a few DR650 and a smattering of other dualsports and converted [plated] dirt bikes, and four Triumphs – a couple of which were not Tigers. No Hondas that I could ascertain...

Enjoyed riding and hanging out with these guys from Seattle – we actually got some tourist-free sailing for awhile. Since I lived in Seattle and played in bands there that was good for some yabbering, and we talked COVID of course.. also cycles, gear, and the great scenery and weather. Would have enjoyed traveling a day or two with them...

2020-07-31 12;40;55 by greenboy, on Flickr

2020-07-31 12;41;30 by greenboy, on Flickr
 
Hit 97F today. Still, rode 165 miles, got up to 90 mph for a mile or so once, doused* with cool creek water for the hot wind period, did some walking, and probably got some good shots ... have to upload from the camera to see what I got.
And here I was beginning to think I could move to northwest Montana to escape summer heat. Guess I was wrong.

I even checked Chicken, Alaska and Dawson City, Yukon, and they are showing 83*F right now!?! Wha...!? Do I now have to get well above the arctic circle to find any relief from heat?

Oh, wait, I may head south to Arkansas for some riding next week, It‘s predicted to barely hit 80*F there next week.
 
And here I was beginning to think I could move to northwest Montana to escape summer heat. Guess I was wrong.

In recent years there hasn't been many days like that, and my area is supposedly headed back down to 82F on Tuesday... Anyway, on those hot days I can head to typically 10 degrees cooler on the east side of the Divide if around lakes and/or peaks. And up high I can usually count on some breezes coming off snowfields... Dousing rules though, with what I've been wearing when it gets hot.

Oh, wait, I may head south to Arkansas for some riding next week, It‘s predicted to barely hit 80*F there next week.

Sounds like what I was wishing for not so long ago when it was hardly ever getting past 60 ; }
 
And here I was beginning to think I could move to northwest Montana to escape summer heat. Guess I was wrong.

I even checked Chicken, Alaska and Dawson City, Yukon, and they are showing 83*F right now!?! Wha...!? Do I now have to get well above the arctic circle to find any relief from heat?

Oh, wait, I may head south to Arkansas for some riding next week, It‘s predicted to barely hit 80*F there next week.
Sadly not even the artic will help you. In June, a Siberian town (Verkhoyansk) hit 100.4°

The Alaskan tundra also caught fire and has been burning since at least June. umstudywildf.jpg
 
Mid-nineties and overcast and muggy yesterday. Hung out with this group for a lunch break. Old high-school chums who get together for a ride once a year (usually), ranging from San Diego to Philly, with one from Idaho and one from Seattle.

2020-08-01 14;36;17 by greenboy, on Flickr

Didn't have time to capture this one and still get the ISO tuned up enough to eliminate motion blur. They were pretty distant too (this is at 800mm ff equiv):

2020-08-01 15;41;10 by greenboy, on Flickr

A little more light for this one so using the same ISO got me a shorter exposure:

2020-08-01 13;33;21 by greenboy, on Flickr
 
Mmmph, this last week all i've done is look at mine as i've walked past it. No riding as i have been siding/painting while house sitting for a buddy and taking care of his farm animals. I do hope to get out soon though :{P
 
Dasha got a second ride, mom gave permission for me to take her out on the roads so we were out for about 45 minutes and she loved it. All 2 lane, typical speeds were 35-45mph. Some mild rolling hills, a few nice roads with some curves, but mostly straight farm roads.

Went back and parked on the lawn for her to try again. She did about the same, as expected. Bike is a bit too heavy for a beginner, but she had a couple nice short runs and maintained balance at the stop.

Did manage to stop the motorcycle and pose for some photos in front of a sunflower field.

No more rides for her for the near future. I took her to Notre Dame and moved her into her dorm room. It was a good day, everything went very smoothly. Notre Dame has their international students move in a few days before the masses arrive. That is great because there were no crowds, no delays at the elevator, got to park right by the loading door, etc. We go back to see her on Thursday, they have a new student & parent mass & welcoming speeches event. We are not related but we are the closest thing to family she has in the USA. Due to Covid it will be held in the football stadium. So about 8000-10,000 people in a stadium that holds 50,000. All wearing masks + socially distancing. We have an entry time, a specified gate, and reserved seats. Students will be required to wear masks ALL the time, even walking outside between classes. The ONLY time students should not have a mask is when they are in the shower or in their room, but if another student comes to their room then they wear masks inside their own room.

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Greenboy, If that was you the other day, taking pic of goats by Logan's Pass. I drove by you with a guy on KTM 1190. I've been at Hungry Horse, since last Sunday. It sure is warm. Wounded Buck is a beautiful place.
 
Wednesday I rode to Polebridge and closed Canadian Border. Chatted with US Border agent. I had a Sticky Bunzs in Polebridge. Forgot about bear's claw. Went to Leelands yesterday for motor oil.
 
Greenboy, If that was you the other day, taking pic of goats by Logan's Pass. I drove by you with a guy on KTM 1190. I've been at Hungry Horse, since last Sunday. It sure is warm. Wounded Buck is a beautiful place.
Sorry to have missed ya, 12xoldy! ; }...As I recall I saw a number of KTMs that day, actually talked to a Washington guy on an 1190 at Big Bend for half an hour.

Camped up around the Hungry Horse Reservoir did you? I spend some time up around there. When it's first possible to go a little higher before getting stuck in snow I take my WR.

I bought my NC from a guy that worked in Leland's service department. Some good people there; I buy stuff there sometimes.

Wednesday I rode to Polebridge and closed Canadian Border. Chatted with US Border agent. I had a Sticky Bunzs in Polebridge. Forgot about bear's claw. Went to Leelands yesterday for motor oil.
Ah yeah, I go up there a lot, even in the winter when there's a thaw that allows it – and into the primitive part of the park when it's not swarming with dust-makers. Actually have gone up to the border station on my WR250R when snow, ice, running water and 8" mud ruts were the last few miles, in January or February. Getting too old for repeats of that though ; }
 
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Mid to high 90s today. I made sure there wasn't anything in my pockets and walked into Lake Saint Mary today and totally dunked, Klim Outlander GTX boots and all! Man, I was cool the rest of the day, save for the last hour, after I left the park.

Anyway, nice bumper Grom – matches my helmet. And a pink Vespa for the lady. These people were from the northeast, but they've ridden these in many parts of the West and the East. they replaced some Chinese scoots they had for a number of years, for the same purpose. But they had to work on them so much they finally junked 'em and got these.

2020-08-02 12;45;35 by greenboy, on Flickr
 
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