Fuzzygalore.com - Girlie Motorcycle Blog

Suzuki DRZ 400: The Fedex Man Cometh

Fuzzygalore — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 21:13:04 +0000

The Fedex man is always much more sexy to me when he comes with a box full of motorcycle parts. Or shoes. Yesterday morning he came sauntering in to the office real smooth-like and dropped off a mystery box for me. It turned out to be some bits for the DRZ.

What’s Was in the Box?

Unabiker Radiator Guards
Bark Busters
Skid Plate
Case Covers

I’m a lucky girl!

It’s almost like I have a motorcycle faerie. I didn’t actually order anything for the bike myself. The DRZ just showed up for my birthday and now this. If I knew what I did to deserve all this, I would’ve started doing it a long time ago!

Even though I am a nail-biting poser at this time, I’ll be ready to get out there and try some dualsport riding again soon! …I think.

Sights from the Road: McNulty’s Giant Ice Cream Cone

Fuzzygalore — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 20:01:47 +0000

During summer evenings, the parking lot at McNulty’s is packed with families out for ice cream. Sticky-faced children mill around the patio leaving trails of drips and drops in their wake.

When I passed by last week there was still snow on the ground and not a car in the lot. I’d never noticed it before but they have a great, big ice cream cone that hangs over the doorway. Given my love of quirky roadside stuff, I just had to grab a picture.

Just thinking about ice cream and summer has got my spring fever in overdrive. C’mon springtime!

Long Island: Stormy Seas at Smith Point

Fuzzygalore — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 12:51:00 +0000

Hot on the heels of some glorious weather last week, Long Island was hammered with driving rains and wind on Saturday night. Trees were downed, shingles were torn from roofs, anything that wasn’t secured down such as garbage cans went tumbling through the neighborhood.

With the strong winds came rough seas. On Sunday afternoon we went to Smith Point to watch the angry waves roll in. The dunes and the sandy beach were all but gone. The foamy tide relentless pounded the shore up to the retaining wall.

Motorcycle Photo: Where There Is A Will There Is A Way

Fuzzygalore — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 16:13:53 +0000

Now there’s something you don’t see everyday. A Honda Civic pulling a trailer with 2 dirtbikes on it. Who needs a gas sucking behemoth here on flat Long Island to shuttle their bikes around? Love it!

Suzuki DRZ 400: My Very First Dualsport Ride

Fuzzygalore — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 03:54:12 +0000

Today marked a new chapter in the book of my riding life. Under the patient tutelage of some of the guys at ADVrider, I went on my first dualsport ride.

Being a complete noob, I put myself firmly at the tail end of the group of bikes when we pulled away in the morning. As I focused on the line of bikes in front of me, I could see the tarmac fall away and puddles of water began to speckle the roadway. Before I knew it, there I was in the sandy mud.

The moment my wheels crested into the mud the bike started to gently squirm around under me. I felt like a new rider again. I was filled with fear, excitement and adrenaline. The fast guys up at the front of the line disappeared out of my view. I went into hyper “concentrate on what you’re doing!” mode.

There seemed to be more and more water coming at me. I would be lying if I said I didn’t find that completely alarming. I tried to focus on the tracks that had gone through ahead of me and to follow them. I opted to skip a big puddle that swallowed one of the KTM 950s and went around the outside through the downed reeds. This was when things got really shaky for me.

With only street riding to compare to, all that squishing and wiggling going on below me was setting off all sorts of alarms in my head. I had one goal, one focus – keep moving forward! Somehow that is what I managed to keep doing. I wish it was skill, I wish it was confidence but I think it was just pure luck that carried me out to the other side.

When I finally putt-putted my way to the end of the road, 3 of the guys were waiting. It’s funny how experience changes your perception of these moments. To those 3 guys sitting there, this wet, sandy loop was just a walk in the park. On the other hand I felt like I accomplished something big. I felt like I climbed my own personal mental Everest.

These guys were all patient and knowledgeable and made my day really fun. I really appreciate that they were willing to take a baby bird on the first flight out of the nest. I hope they’ll have me along again.

Things I Need to Remember

I won’t always be afraid everything.
I will learn to accept the bike moving around underneath me without panicking
Sometimes slowing down isn’t the answer
I won’t always be afraid everything.
Eyes up!
Get up on those pegs!
I won’t always be afraid everything.

Long Island: Where the Buffalo Roam

Fuzzygalore — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 03:31:07 +0000

Long Island is home to some unusual residents. In the town of Riverhead, sits the North Quarter Buffalo Farm. Though the island seems like an unlikely place for them to thrive, the herd is said to be about 300 strong. Each time we are out that way I love to stop by and watch them from the road. A few of them seemed as interested in us as we were in them.

Two black buffaloes are born on North Fork farm

Winter Motorcycle Riding: An Evening at the Beach

Fuzzygalore — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 22:08:05 +0000

Before dinner, I stepped out for short ride to take in what was a warm March evening. While the sun still shone I cruised by Cedar Beach and watched the waves roll in against the shore. There was no one there but me and two seagulls who were sailing on a current of wind. It seemed like they never flapped their wings. They just rose and fell above the water. As I walked back along the sand I saw a snow heart. Everything just felt right in my world.

Gratuitous Winter Motorcycle Photos: Suzuki DRZ 400

Fuzzygalore — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 17:06:51 +0000

I thought for sure I would be in for a rude awakening heading out riding over the weekend without the toasty warm hug of my my trusty Gerbing jacket liner and handlbar muffs.

I was pleasantly surprised that even though the temps were in the mid 30’s it just wasn’t so bad. I found that even when they aren’t plugged in the T5 gloves are quite warm on their own. I didn’t come home a frozen Popsicle. Of course I wasn’t cruising along the highway at 85 either. I mainly stuck to the smaller backroads. Maybe it’s the bubbling excitement of getting a new bike that’s keeping me warm?

Do you have tips on keeping warm on the bike without electrics? Let’s hear ‘em!

Getting to Know the DRZ 400: Have Suspension, Will Travel

Fuzzygalore — Sun, 28 Feb 2010 18:46:14 +0000

On Sunday morning while the rest of the family will still sleeping, I rolled the DRZ out of the garage and set off on a local ride. Long Island is still in the grips of messy winter weather. There is a lot of accumulated snow piled up everywhere, sandy roads and with temperatures cresting above freezing during the day – a lot of melting then freezing happening.

I decided to find out what it feels like to ride the DRZ on a road that nearly knocked one of my ovaries loose the last time I took the Speed Triple down it. The road is a mess of ripples, pot holes, lumps, bumps and gravel. At least that was the way that I remember it being. Today I felt none of that treacherous jarring. I just sailed along enjoying the quiet morning by myself. I know that it was nowhere near a workout for the bike’s suspension even it’s its stock form, but it was an eye opening experience for me to travel that road at speed, painlessly.

I came home from my road ride with a huge grin on my face. It was really fun!

Baby Steps: Thoughts on Learning the Way of the Knobbies

Fuzzygalore — Sat, 27 Feb 2010 14:26:01 +0000

The idea of riding on knobbies opens up a whole new world to me. I have no illusions of being some kind of motocross expert. At this point in my life I just want to be able to look at a gravel road or a dirt trail and instead of just wondering what is at the end of it, being able to easily go find out. I want to see parts of the world that you wouldn’t from a paved roadway. Kind of like hiking, but on wheels.

To the seasoned offroad or dualsport rider those may sound like small and naive goals but that is where I’m at for now. We all have to start somewhere.

Suspend the Fear – Trust the Machine

Being that I know the mechanics of making a motorcycle go from point A to point B so I get to bypass “learning to ride”. Instead, I have to learn to ride differently.

One of the first and most important things that I think I need to learn is to not approach imperfect surfaces with complete avoidance. Of course there are limits to my skill and the equipment. But, I need to unlearn some of the things that have become second nature to me having strictly ridden street-only bikes up to this point.

Its okay to go through the grass
Its okay to go down the dirt road
You can make it through the gravel
A little mud never killed anyone
A little snow? eh.. should be okay
Dropping the bike in any of these places is ‘okay’

While I may have done all of these things on a street bike at one time or another, doing them with confidence is a whole other matter. That’s what I want: confidence.

I want to learn to do more of this comfortably:

Heading down a gravel road in California