The Good

• I don’t generally talk about my personal life, but I started dating again in the Spring, truly putting my last girlfriend behind me once and for all (after having about 9 months off). Met some unique characters but ended up finding someone I’d like to keep around for a while. Nothing super serious. Distance is a bit of an issue at 230 miles. But so far it’s worth it.
• Purchased another Triumph Bonneville America, and although it is a good thing it was for a bad reason (see below). The specs and story are detailed elsewhere, but in short, it’s a great bike. It runs really good, it’s rock solid and gets great mileage. I christened it “Reboot,” as it is the same exact bike as my first America, right down to the original color.
• Finally found the “right deal” on a Triumph Rocket III. I’ve wanted one badly since they debuted in 2005, but was unwilling to sell my original Bonneville America to get one and either  my health and/or financial goals always seemed to get in the way.
• Paid off my last credit card. It is quite seriously a weight lifted from my very soul if there is such a thing. I was on track to pay it off in a year or so anyway, but a generous gift from my dad accelerated that process nicely. I have my mortgage and school loan left to be debt free, the latter due to be paid off in 5 years, though I plan to accelerate that as soon as my house is done. I’m somewhat ambivalent about the school loan since I’ve already paid most of the interest. Still, I’m sick of keeping it around like a pet.
• After a couple “issues” late last year, the tankless water heater went in January. It has been a bit of an adjustment but overall I think it’s worth it. Eventually I may add small point-of-use water heaters in my kitchen and bathroom to help with the extra lag in flow. I don’t like standing there for 20+ seconds just to rinse out coffee mug.
• Very late in the year, finally started my bathroom remodel. Work will spill into 2012. The tub was replaced with a shower, the subflooring replaced and a new toilet and floor tile were installed before New Years Eve. The new vanity, sink, faucet fixtures, paint, trim and tile above the shower are slated to be done close to the end of January.
• I inherited BonnevilleAmerica.com, lock, stock and barrel, and migrated it to my ISP successfully. That was followed by a complete redesign of the homepage using WordPress and the “usual” process I use for my side business clients. It hasn’t all been wine and roses, however. Again see below. But the member’s patience and generosity during the process has been exemplary.
• A couple of great trips related to motorcycles. The Southwest Triumph Festival (my second attendance) in Prescott, AZ, and the Kootenay RAT Raid (my 7th) in Nelson, BC. I say ‘motorcycle related’ because I only rode my bike to one of them, the latter. But saw lots of great friends, many of whom I’d only known online until then.
• I still have a job.
• Sold my 1994 VW Golf to a friend in Billings. Thankfully it’s still running, so any new problems crop up on a car that old are the new owner’s problem. :)
• No major (new) health issues. Had a gall bladder scare but the surgeon talked me out of it. My close friends and family have stayed healthy, for the most part.
• Late last year I started seeing a chiropractor for the first time, and continue through the first half of this year. Seemed to help quite a bit but if you don’t keep up with it the benefits don’t last.
• My freelance consulting business keeps going at a low hum. At some point I streamlined my business site, pretty much reducing it to just the homepage. Added a few new clients:
• Started donating my time to Splashes of Joy, Inc., in the capacity of Technical and Social Media Advisor to the executive board.
• Created a site for Old Miners Dining Club, which I liken to a reincarnation of the old version of the Marysville House, a formerly legendary restaurant in the mountains near Helena.
• Created a site for Mind Body Spirit, provider of yoga, meditation and massage services.
• I continue to support several existing clients.

The Bad

• One of my dogs died, Tobi, my chow-malmute. She was 14 and died in her sleep in the middle of the night. Poor Sammy, my 15 YO black lab/blue-healer mix can’t quite figure out what to do with himself.
• I was without a running motorcycle for the Triumph event in Prescott, AZ, in late May. Bollox was dead (see below) and Reboot hadn’t arrived in time. So I drove down to Arizona and rented a Harley. When I talk shit about Harley I’m usually referring to the riders, the RUBs, the posers and the yuppies. But this Heritage Softail was a POS. I’ve heard the dyna-based models are much better and I really, really hope so, but I won’t be buying one any lifetime soon. I’m not in it for the lifestyle, I’m in it to grind pegs in the corners.
• Aside from the few mentioned above, I haven’t developed much in the way of new business with my freelance consulting. Most of my efforts outside the day job focused on BonnevilleAmerica.com and a few prospective clients that I had leads on didn’t actually materialize.
• Speaking of BonnevilleAmerica.com, the forum software has really needed an upgrade for a few years. The software I inherited is cludgey and hard to work with. I purchased a different software package but haven’t had the time or motivation to get it migrated over.
• Two of my debit cards (info, not the phyiscal cards) were stolen. The first in June, went to Alberta, Canada, charging up almost $900. The second just before Christmas, went to Iowa, charging up $500. I caught the first one when I got an email alert on my phone that my overdraft protection had been activated. The bank caught the second one and called me. Both were handled cleanly and efficiently by each bank, and the biggest inconvience was waiting for replacement cards. From now on I will not use a debit card if it has to leave my hands. I will use my one credit card for almost all purchases from now on.

The Ugly

• My first bike, my 2002 Bonneville America christened “Bollox,” has been suffering multiple electrical problems since it died on me of Fall of 2010 in Washington. A couple friends with more electrical knowledge than I helped with a few of the problems this year but the bike basically succumbed to it’s issues, causing me to purchase “Reboot.”

So, considering the only thing I put in the ugly category is a dead motorcycle, it was a pretty good year. I didn’t put the death of my dog in the ugly category because she was old, slowing down, deaf and arthiritic. Her passing was inevitable, though it did hit me harder than I expected. I have no idea what it will take to fix the bike. I’ve already replaced most of the typical electrical components that cause these problems. I fear my only solution, if I want to get it running again, will to be to leave it with the dealership in Spokane, along with my Visa card, or rewire the sucker from scratch…

The Year in Cities

The rules: In a nutshell name every city you’ve slept in this year (nod). In no particular order. Go.

• East Helena, MT
• Thompson Falls, MT
• Billings, MT
• Missoula, MT
• Glendive, MT
• Forsyth, MT
• Miles City, MT
• Havre, MT
• Great Falls, MT
• Livingston, MT
• North Salt Lake, UT
• Can’t remember on the way down to Prescott, AZ, in Utah…probably Springville.
• Prescott, AZ
• Trail, BC
• Nelson, BC

I traveled quite a bit across the state of Montana this year. Biggest surprise? The eastern half (which I’d never visited before) was not completely desolate. Wouldn’t want to live there, but it’s pretty in its own right. Of course, that was right after the torrential ongoing Spring rains…

That’s me, last of the big time spenders.

Lately I’ve been eyeing trikes like this one from TrikeWorks.com and sidehacks like this Ural Patrol, complete with sidecar, and two-wheel drive in the rear. These would be for cold, slippery weather. I’d really like to be able to ride all year. But they aren’t exactly cheap (I’m sure those custom trikes are pretty expensive). Studded snows on a motorcycle, oh yeah… cabin fever is in effect…

Arizona-California Loop
This trip could be in essence a reversal of my 2007 trip, with a little side trip to Prescott. But if I have the time a run up the coast could be very cool. Or down the coast, as it were, depending on which direction I do the loop. I tend to think I would do California after Arizona. The SWTF happens mid-late Spring and I would want to do a straight shot south if the weather is sketchy. My first SWTF experience in 2008 was the last time I road in snow, over Monida Pass on I-15.

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Alberta-British Columbia Loop

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As far as my other bikes, Reboot will be a local/commuting/backup machine, and Bollox may not leave the Helena Valley under its own power again.

Just got back from its maiden voyage under my care, a bit over 60 miles around the Helena Valley. Did 90 up MacDonald pass without blinking…

Observations

I can’t believe people hot rod these things. My Rocket friends are already telling me which pipes and air cleaners and gadgets and EFI tunes to get. The stock 140HP is going to take some time to get used to. I’ve already had the rear tire break loose a few times and it’s a little disconcerting coming off 10 years riding a bike with 790cc and a bit over 60HP. I nailed it in a parking lot in first gear and I swear my eyeballs bounced off the back of my skull and I got a headache when they, and my brains, slammed against the front of my skull on deceleration.

The dealership was awesome. Between the time they shot the photos for the ad and sold it to me, they noticed a fine crack in the windshield near a screw hole and replaced the windshield. Thing is, the regular windshield is no longer available so they put on a summer screen (read: much shorter). This offers virtually no protection so as nice as it is I will probably look into another Windvest or see if the one on Reboot can be adapted. But that has other ramifications—the factory driving lights are mounted to the stock windshield brackets, so they’ll have to be relocated (I am NOT cutting the wires!).

The heel-toe shifter has to go. That is all. I contacted the dealership to see if they could source a used stock one. Failing that, ebay or the forums.

I hit the DMV to register it right after I left the office and got the vanity plate “FRIAR.” My backup choice is “FR1AR.” Cost me $134. Since they are permanent tags and they don’t take into account engine size or year, it actually cost me less than Reboot, because I had to pay the extra $30 to get a sixth letter.

The dealership was awesome, part two. I couldn’t start the bike after it was unloaded from the truck this morning. I googled it and read all kinds of horror stories about jump starting them and such, but I took a chance this afternoon and used the jump pack. In the interim the salesman (owner’s son) emailed me back today, even though the shop was closed, and said they were afraid the battery might be a little weak from sitting so long and they’re sending a new one for free. Gulf Coast Cycles in Ft. Myers, Florida, is awesome.

I’d be lying if I said it handled as good as my Americas. I think that’s physically impossible. That said, it’s really close, and you don’t really think about the fact that you have well over 700 lbs. under you rather than 500, and an engine bigger than most small cars. But it does, in fact, stop on a dime. Once I hit both brake and thought I’d launch myself over the handlebars.

And another thing…

…aw screw it, I’m going riding again… I might have more thoughts later.

Rode home from a friend’s house in the dark, still on delivery day. Plenty of lighting but the headlights need a bit of re-aiming, pointing down too much. The driving lights throw a lot of light to the sides, which is great for rural roads at night. The engine and radiator throw off a lot of heat which will be a pain over 90 degrees but it helps keep the legs warm at 60. Speaking of warmth, there is a spot for the factory heated grips switch next to the driving light switch. Might have to look into that. The highway pegs are nice, but I need to move them back about an inch. Adjustment is limited so I’ll have to rework the mounting points to get them just right.

So far I want to add the following:

• 3M paint protection film (full) kit
• Knee pads
• Tank pad
• Factory gas gauge
• Factory clock
• Rear license/turn signal cleanup bracket
• Clear turn signal lenses
• Driver’s backrest (the stock touring seat isn’t bad–will probably just run with the biker’s friend bag for that)
• Ditch the heal-toe shifter for a regular shifter (I might try what a BonnevilleAmerica.com member did and trim down the heel peg)
• Some sort of rear pegs so I can move my feet back occasionally and maybe even stand up
• Windvest (windshield)
• Cup holder (that’s right, I said it, and a chrome one, not that black plastic POS on Reboot)
• A GPS and/or a mount for my Droid
• EXHAUST NOISE–this thing is way too quiet (I don’t care if it makes more power, I just want to hear something), probably go with the full Jardine 3:2 exhaust system
• The stock leather saddlebags are nice, but I love my Tsukayu hard bags on Reboot. They won’t fit with the stock exhaust so once I get the Jardine system, I think some Tsukayu Jumbo Strong bags (with rear support bracket) is in order.
• I should probably get a radar detector…

$7995, 6660 miles, loaded, $1000 down, 3 years, less than 6%, recall(s) performed, oil changed at about 5,000 miles, from a dealership in Ft. Meyers, Florida, found via another member of BonnevilleAmerica.com. Don’t miss the gallery, below.

It will never be this clean ever again. ;) Not planning on selling Reboot just yet. Would like to have Bollox running first.

I moved the rest of this post to it’s own page…

About 420 miles:

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I had to run an errand for friends before and after, so my personal total for the day is 464 miles.

I’d really like to take one more long trip this year, but I don’t know if I’ll be able to get away.

Gold River BC

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However, we just started another large proposal at work and I’m not sure I’d be able to get away.