What a day of riding. I woke up this morning with a couple packages to ship for my reselling business. As soon as I stepped outside I decided to take the long way to the post office. The weather was absolutely perfect. We're talking Goldielocks Zone! Not to warm, not to cool, a light overcast with plenty of sunshine!
I thought we were supposed to get rain, but that wasn't the case. When I got home from the post office I checked the weather online and seen close to zero percent chance of rain. That was it, there was no way I was wasting this day. Off to Pennsylvania for the yearly fireworks run.
I grabbed a riding jacket, and off I went.
The Pennsylvania (Pa.) border is almost a two hour ride. I stopped at a truck stop for a water break and to cool down under the shade. Although the morning was cool and temperate, the afternoon heat was starting to rise.
I've been spending the last week or so tuning the new exhaust system. This was sort of a test run for a longer trip. The bike rode great on the highway.
For those that have been following the bike build, I'm running a generic Chinese hi-flow exhaust, full dB killer, K and N air filter, and ripped the snorkel out of the air box. No further air box mods. Just snorkel removal.
The bike is running about the same as the stock exhaust at this point with a nice, deep, growl. I just received the carburetor kit and will eventually go up one size on the jet, and it also adds a high performance throttle pin that will give it much better response. Once I do that, I should see a little performance improvement. For now, I'm happy with how it's running. Expect some longer trips soon.
So I spent close to 4 hours in the saddle. That stock seat is a bit rough on the backside, although I'm starting to get used to it. Sooner or later, I'll be upgrading that seat.
It took a little under 2 hours to get to Pa. The fireworks shop is right over the border. I shopped at Phantom, I should have snapped a pic but I didn't. The place was pretty dead considering it's only 4 or 5 weeks until July 4th here in the states.
After shopping for some fireworks I made my yearly stop at McDonalds... I hate McDonalds, but the first McDonalds on Rte 20 as you enter Pa from NY makes REALLY GOOD Cheeseburgers. Trust me, all McDonalds are not created equally. The place is fast, friendly, and delicious. It vibes differently too, the employees are actually friendly and helpful.
Triple Cheeseburger, large fry, and large Dr. Pepper. Surprisingly it was only $7. I think the prices might be cheaper in Pa. Anyway, the food was delicious and I was relieved I didn't have to spend $20 on lunch.
First time I seen this at a Mc D's. No cashiers, only the electronic order kiosk tablet thingy. Then you take a number and they bring it to your table when it's ready. Pretty fancy Micky D. 🤣
After I ate I took another 2 hour ride home and pushed the bike a little harder. I took the main highways there at 65 to 75 MPH, right around the speed limit. On the way back I pushed it between 75 and 85. I just wanted to see how it ran at those speeds. I was really surprised, it ran really good without the carb kit installed.
However, if I decide to take it out west, I'll need that bigger fuel jet. It pretty much tops out around 85, or seems to be running really lean. It needs fuel at that speed and it's just not getting it.
The speed limit out west is around 75 MPH and it's not unusual to be riding 90+ with traffic, although I do try and avoid those situations. Still it's nice having the extra power when you need it.
I tried to keep it NY legal with the fireworks. They allow fountains on the 4th of July in NY. Basically just nothing that flies up in the air over so many feet. I filled a backpack with about $40 worth of fireworks and that's what I got. I think the prices came down a little from last year.
3 Large fountains
1 pack of whistlers
1 pack of crackle bombs
half brick of Thunder bomb firecrackers
3 strands hundred shot lady fingers
1 small fountain assortment pack
That should keep the family and the neighbors entertained.
Ill probably pick up a few more locally, I always do. Usually a finale cake or two. They're just a lot cheaper picking them up right at the main outlet instead of at the local fireworks stands.
You can't really tell from the image but my face is super burnt. You can see the strap mark from my helmet. The phone didn't really capture how red my face is. I also have raccoon eyes from my glasses. I think I need to start buying some sunblock for my face when I take long rides. I'm going to be sore tomorrow. Glad I decided to wear my riding jacket.
For me, this was the perfect day of riding. The sky is a little overcast with the smell of smoke from the Canadian forest fires, and our spring has been complete shit for lack of a better word. It was really nice to get out today and finally have a seasonably temperate day. It actually motivated me to start thinking about some more trips this season.
Decisions, decisions. If you read to the end, thank you. Hopefully this riding season will lead to some fun and exciting adventures. For a test run this season, I'm really happy with how things went.