Fuck knows lol.

After getting my R licence last week, I am once again bereft of a life goal. This has happened before when I ascended the Eiffel Tower. Took me couple of years to find a new goal (R motorcycle licence) so expecting more of that.

Mr reckons set my sites on a track day … umm … not sure that even registers in my want-o-meter. I just don’t like the idea of crashing and my insurance not paying out lol.

You need full riding kit and I can’t fit anything nor can I afford it right now. Sigh. If Kermit thought it wasn’t easy being green, try being larger than a size 14 and a broke arse trying to ride motorbikes haha.

I wouldn’t mind getting an adventure bike or trail bike, not to go off road more to ride the places the bitumen turns into dirt / gravel. Only because we were going to Crows Nest (QLD) the other day and 20kms into a 51km section we hit the red stuff and turned around to go another way. Didn’t fancy 31 more kilometres of dirt and stones pinging up onto G Force and being at 110% concentration to avoid a fall.

I’m happy taking little steps towards getting as many photos and video of the places I go on the bike. They’re usually 2-3 hours from home, nothing too strenuous. When I kick the bucket my poor family and friends will have to live through hours of a motorcycle PowerPoint show at my funeral 😂😂😂.

I dunno what lies ahead. I can start taking G Force to work now 😍 that is something that will give me daily pleasure and entertainment. Phwoar, she is such a gorgeous bike and so easy to get into / out of trouble lol.

We are working towards our trip to Isle of Man TT in 2022 for Mr’s 50th. That will be an outing to top all outings. Might take some extended time off work and do a motorcycle trip around Europe. It will be summer, or near enough to, at that point … undoubtedly the best time of the year to be on The Continent.

Another goal achieved, more to be set.

Oooohhhhh mayun. So amazing!

Passed my R Class bike licence today and over the moon. After all the tears and being afraid I would never achieve this goal (refer previous posts) I rode away from the instructor with the biggest grin on my face. Might have been a few fist pumps, happy feet and squeals all the way home 😬

Did my licence through Ride For Life. The instructor, Graham Davies, has been doing Q Ride courses for around 6 years. I could not have asked for a more considerate and patient person to see me through my licence. Common sense approach and safety being of the utmost importance.

Showed up a little early as there are usually lengthy forms to complete and I just wanted to have a chat about what I had to look forward to for the afternoon. As he wasn’t back from an RE Q Ride course from the morning, Mr and I spent some time talking to his spouse. Lovely couple.

With some reassurance the course is as much about training as it is about completing the mandatory modules, I felt confident and ready to get it done.

We went for a scoot around Yarrabilba, Tamborine, Beaudesert and back to Chambers Flat for official sign off. One other lady doing her R at the same time. Mr ended up tagging along at the back as his options were 1. Go home and schlep back in a few hours to pick me up or 2. Wait on site for a few hours for us to get back. Obviously, my preference was for Mr to come with! Beautiful QLD day for it so why not?

Was also a bonus to have Mr bring up the rear in case any dickheads driving up our asses / being impatient. Cannot hurt to have an experienced rider along for the ride as well 🤷🏻‍♀️

Probably 10kms from home base I was 99% sure I was going to pass, not withstanding any drastic events. I have never felt so relieved and grateful in my life. I’m now awake at midnight writing this as I can’t sleep 😂😂😂 the excitement is just too much!!!!!!

Here are some pics from today. Went out for celebratory dinner with Mr and Son-Son. I feel like I’ve achieved my 2nd life goal and it’s feels fantastic. I now have the freedom to ride any size bike … providing I can reach the ground of course lol #NothingNewThere

Couple goals

Had a rough start to the day though – on the way to the rugby club carpark (to do a quick final practice of slow manoeuvres) the brakes seized up 😧😧😧. Me: why can’t I accelerate? Bike: fuck y’all overfilled the brake fluid reservoir so imma just lock up middle of the road right before you head off for your Q Ride course.

Mr had to shoot home to grab some tools and a rag. Dabbed the excess fluid out of the reservoir and we were off again. Whenever something like that happens, for the next little while I’m always paranoid about it. Kept checking my brake lever was working okay multiple times during the day.

Good news: I now know what brakes about to lock up feel like so I can stop promptly before it gets to critical status and I end up with hazard lights on in the middle of the road. Luckily the road it happened on was not too busy. Several cars and a motorbike stopped to check I was all good … thank you kind strangers! There are good people out there.

Well after a long day with the low of a temporary breakdown and high of being a fully licensed biker chick, I can lay my head down completely satisfied.

I have proven something to myself and cemented my decision to start riding a motorcycle. This day and this feeling will be with me always. No one can take it away but I share the success with Mr, my children that I strive to be a role model for, my bike group comrades, my workmates that get into long convos with me about bikes when we both should be working LOL, my friends who don’t ride that have to listen to my ramblings about how awesome it is blah blah blah and every rider who has welcomed me to the riding community.

This is still just the start of my riding life. I have so much more to do and learn. For today though, I sign off for the first time as Ms Fully Licenced Motorcyclist 😊

Oh heckin’ yes it ’twas!

Mr got home 630am and asked if I wanted to go for a ride. No too tired sorry. 1 min later … well where were you wanting to go? #Sold

Have been wanting to go up Mt French for ageeeeees. We tried to go last year November but it was closed due to extreme fire risk.

Catalogued for a Winter road trip 😬

Headed out to Boonah on the Cunningham Highway. Missed the turn off (classic don’t GPS it cos I always believe I know roughly where I’m going haha) so continued towards Aratula.

Lovely clear day, although a bit coolish. Turned off before Aratula to go Fassifern to Boonah. Stopped at ye old Boonah Info Centre for a short break. Note to travellers: no hand soap or hand drying towels/dryer so BYO or hide those hands back in the gloves ASAP lol.

Tentatively rode up Mt French Rd – steep in parts, no traffic, few cattle grids but nothing too strenuous. I took it easy, being on G Force and already a bit sore around the shoulders.

At the top a bit of parking but also a few cars that looked like camping or live there 🤷🏻‍♀️. In theory you COULD ride out to the North Cliff lookout platform but that would probably just piss everyone off.

There is a boot cleaning station as you start the path due to pathogens in the soil. You basically scrub your shoe sole and run heel to toe a couple times over a fine mist on the way in and out of the walk.

The walk itself is 360m one way to the lookout. Well. Worth. It. The panoramic views are amazing, would be absolutely stunning at sunrise or sunset. I’m a lazy shit but I’d do it again or the other walk that is a little bit longer and looks more East. Will go back and tackle that one another day.

North Cliff is sealed and wheelchair suitable. Nothing too strenuous, no rest chairs but plenty of felled tree trunks and standing stumps if you don’t worry about spiders etc like me haha.

Stayed a few minutes taking pano photos and selfies. No one else turned up but we did see what appeared to be a mountain climber running through the path beyond the fence.

At the lookout there is a sign asking not to throw things over as climbers frequently use the cliff. I can see why. Stunning. High. Easy access. Isolated. Great little spot. Wish G Force could go out on the viewing deck.

Carried on to Beaudesert then Canungra for breakfast. Canungra Hub & Deli menu is WOW. Had a yummy scone (with lots of butter) and a fantastic bacon & egg roll. Om nom noms. I prefer that place to The Outpost Cafe as it has dedicated bike parking off the street, it’s own toilets, an impressive home-baked goods offering and spacious seating. Highly recommend although Outpost also has great food.

Up and over the Tambo goat track to sit behind some cars slugging it down the other side. Fuckers.

Ended up detouring to Loganholme to meet my work mate for the Ooshie swap day at Woolworths. Random way to finish a ride.

So tired, off to sleep early! The below sort of defines my weekends 😂😂😂 who is with me on that???

Cos short arse 🙁. I want to book in for my R licence (full open big girl ride any bike licence) but running up against my old foe: little stumpy legs.

Went to suss out a CB650F and while it was fine to sit on in the shed, out on the course was a different matter I couldn’t get it up off the stand. I’m disappointed the riding instruction / q ride provider doesn’t have 1 single bike in their stash for shorties. I cannot be the only short person to sit their R licence?????

The attitude of the RSP was basically “oh well” and that sort of highlights what is wrong with the struggling motorcycle sales industry as a whole and particularly for female riders who are often shorter than males. It’s also never been so long and expensive to get your licence.

The current process is:

Learners:

Must have P or Open car licence for at least 1 year

Pre-learners 2 day q-ride course approximate cost $400

Pass a motorcycle knowledge test

* You may be able to get an exemption from completing this if you live 100km from the nearest training area however will need to hold you L’s for 1 year before you can apply for your RE licence.

RE

RE (P or Open as per your car licence)

1 day q-ride course approximate cost $200

Must have held your L motorcycle licence for at least 3 months *or 12 months as above.

R

1/2 day q-ride course approximate cost $150-200

Must have held your RE licence for at least 2 years

It’s not a quick and easy path to getting your full licence and I personally feel it shouldn’t be given motorcyclists are over-represented in traffic fatalities. Even when you remove the instances where the rider was not at fault (environmental factors such as crap weather, sun-strike and shitty roads are still considered rider error for not riding to conditions) we’re still well there.

I’m not talking about literal number because cars still far outstrip any other vehicle type given how many there are vs other forms of transport. But motorcyclists as ~5% of the vehicles and >20% of road fatalities it doesn’t look good for 2 wheels out on the roads.

So now I’m desperately looking for a provider where I can use my own bike (difficult for to being lowered, being heavy, being purpose built for speed and not slow manoeuvres and a shot box turning circle) or that has a lowish R class bike I can use 🤷🏻‍♀️ neither being great options.

I have a mate with a de-restricted MT07 that has a lowering link (praise Jesus 🙌🏼) which I might be able to use if any RSP’s will accept it as non-LAMS as the rego still shows as LAMS on Transport Main Roads rego check. There is an option to change to non-LAMS (no extra cost) but involves dealer removing the restrictions and providing documentation it’s no longer LAMS. While this might be helpful for insurance purposes and if you were pulled over the the 5-0, I wouldn’t ask someone to do that JUST so I can use it for my R test. I’m not that much of an arsehole.

And yes I have seen the YouTube videos of itty bitty women and that dude who gets on and off at the traffic light stops but that is not me. I don’t want to shift my ass around just to stop. I have toppled over multiple times and I sure as shit don’t wanna do that on my new bike.

Sadly I have been riding my big bike on my L plate with Mr but I can’t wait to be using it as my every day bike once I sort out this licence upgrade.

I have bawled my eyes out over potentially not being a able to do that 😢 at this point I feel like that’s a real possibility. And it makes me so sad to the point if I haven’t done it by Christmas I might sell the CBR500 and GForce 😧. I just don’t want to be stuck in a baby bike for eternity. I’ve been working towards this goal for 2.5 years. Being fucked over at the final hurdle really hurts, enough to give up riding forever.

I have one dream only one and it took a while to even GET a new one once I had fulfilled my last one in 2015. The fear and anxiety of this last step might be the final straw for me. I definitely don’t want it to be but how am I gonna get past it? I don’t know and that is the sucky part.

In the meantime I continue to take the Honda as my daily work commuter and G Force on weekend rides with Mr supervising. Gonna have to do something if I wanna get out of this rut though.

From a $950 shoe shop apparently.

Instead of practicing my slow manoeuvres so I can book in my for R licence I went for a ride didn’t I?

Mr got home 630 in the morning ‘wanna go for a ride?’ and fuck knows my ability to say no to that question is limited at all times 😁

Off we go up over Nebo, Glorious, around Somerset, brekky at Woodford, the scenic route / mystery journey to Brendale from there! Decent ride even though quite crisp temperature wise 🥶 #WorthIt

Northside Motorcycle Workshop (Kenilworth Place at Brendale) hooked both Gixxer’s up with new shoes 😍

We ordered the Rosso 3’s for G Force and toddled down to the local cafe for a bite while we waited. While there, floated the idea of Spence getting his tyres then as well because honestly they looked worse than mine. Only getting mine done first to sit my R’s without wondering if I would turn up and get told to go away due to tyres being too worn.

He shot back to the tyre shop and returned to tell me he got himself the Supercorsa 2’s because he didn’t have anymore 3’s in stock 🤨. Note to self: do not let Spence go to the tyre shop alone ever again lol. Not that I really give a shit I will never get to the limits of 3’s let alone 2’s 😂😂😂

Slow and careful ride home scrubbing the tyres in. Also wasn’t able to filter all day cruising on my L plate with my supervisor I do not hold an open class licence for the bike I’m on. Not yet anyway, just more motivation to get my R’s sooner rather than later!

The last traffic light before home there are 2 right turning lanes. There was a car in the right-hand lane so we went to the front in the left-hand lane. It’s a wider arc and I planned to putter around the corner #NewTyreFeels and boot it on the straight to get in front at the merge.

Me to Mr in the intercom: I’ll take it easy since my tyres are still new

Me when the light goes green: bwaaarrrpppp 🤦🏻‍♀️🤦🏻‍♀️🤦🏻‍♀️🤦🏻‍♀️🤦🏻‍♀️🤦🏻‍♀️🤦🏻‍♀️🤦🏻‍♀️🤦🏻‍♀️

Halfway around the corner: oops I was supposed to be taking it easy 🤪🤪 fuck me that lasted 3 seconds.

$465 for my tyres fitted and $485 for Mr’s. How to lose $950 in under an hour LOL. But means I’m good for another 6 months. Or so.

We are going to start heading back into Summer soon so they will likely get ripped to shreds in the QLD heat 😫 to be confirmed in a future post.

Whatever tyres you’re running, do your research, shop around and don’t forget new tyre day is also sneaky burn out day 😉😉😉😉😉😉😉😉😉😉😉😉😉😉😉😉😉😉😉😉😉

Had my first proper ride on G Force the other night 😍 just a quick sprint up Mt Coot-tha (couple of laps and hot choc at the top) then over to Kangaroo Point to look for spots to take photos of the bikes.

Photos was a fail … all the decent spots along the bottom of the cliffs have trees so you can’t see the buildings properly and/or can’t get the bike in a good spot 🤷🏻‍♀️. Fuckit.

Mt Coot-tha was interesting. There were 3 people in the parking area as we went in. On the way out they asked if the blue bike was Mr’s 😂😂😂 laughing cos it had the L plate on it and he is the my supervisor.

No it belongs to me *so nice to say that and for anyone anywhere to be interested in my bike haha shuddup I’m new to people having bike envy *

Answered some questions about how many cc’s and how I could ride on L plates???? Essentially, at the time you qualify to sit your R licence you can L plate it with a supervisor. You can either get your R licence immediately or use the above method.

I am planning on sitting my R’s this month, budget and course availability pending. I’m excited, everyone says 2 years on RE is too long but that period caters for all the time riders like me and not that often riders (eg weekends only but not necessarily every weekend).

Going through HART Slacks Creek again as they aren’t too far and they offer free re-sit. I will most likely pass first time but just in case I don’t … I don’t fancy paying again. Is around $149 for half day course. At the end of which I can ride any bike, any time.

So this weekend inbetween a ride with Mr I do need to practice my slow manoeuvres. Haven’t done any since just before I sat my RE’s haha #EveryMotorcyclistEver

Good practice for me, I’m not always super comfortable doing u-turns and such, mostly due to road camber, stump legs and that feeling of falling!

Mr and I had a great run last night. Little bit of silly buggers (not sorry to the Triple on Ippy Mway or the black Ford on Woogaroo St) but that familiar feeling of MORE POWER URRHH URRHH URRHHH is strong. Will power lowest levels in 20 years haha.

Ironically after this night I got pulled over on Ippy Rd. Was tired having stayed for an indigenous painting workshop (pic below) after work and not keeping an eye out for the popo. Bwoop bwoop. Ok mate, side street, I know, I know, going too fast.

Cop gave me a chance to provide a good reason. None to be found 😂. Accepted I was speeding, no dispute. Asked me how fast I thought. 72????? Good try … 81. I could feel and hear the breath leave my body 🤦🏻‍♀️🤦🏻‍♀️🤦🏻‍♀️.

In QLD when you do 20 over you go into the high risk category and getting caught in 12 months doing the same offence = double demerit points. Good news: lowered my speed to 75 so I escaped that speeding bracket. Bad news: still a $266 fine and 3 demerit points 😫😫😫

Cop mentioned if I wanted to argue in court here are the details. Not planning on doing that, even if I was doing ‘only’ 72 that is still 12kms over the 60 limit. I was lucky to get what I did, being reasonable helps, owning your mistakes is called being a grown up.

So now I’m up to 7 out of 12 demerit points in the crapper. 5 left. The words of Yoda come freely to mind haha.

Practiced driving like a Nanna yesterday and today. Not sure if you know but, you can get places going the speed limit (including when filtering). Who knew?

Stay safe and alert out there bike famz!

Ahhh when the hapless post stupid shit on Facebook then get hammered and go on the defensive 😂😂😂

Enter Waylon … numb nut to the core, posts to a FB bike group WELL known for being a bunch of fuckwits. Gets annihilated. Responds to almost every single post telling them how their opinion is wrong. Could potentially be wrong himself but no it’s everyone else.

I mean, what kind of moron posts to a bike FB group ragging on a motorcyclist and who is a motorcyclist themselves? The very first thing I thought was ‘how would a motorbike know you were just holding down the menu button?’. They wouldn’t and using a phone is using a phone no matter what you’re doing with it.

Enter this lil biarch (me) and agitated twat (Belac) who is aka Caleb Taivaitanga but by his own admission is a genius so maybe his views are as backward as his spelling. I not know. Me dumb woman make opinion by self lol.

Where do I even start? 1. Wasn’t implying the rider should have done more. Bit of a leap coming to that conclusion. 2. Makes a half sentence and then a new sentence for statement I’m an idiot. Pay attention to that because he later on calls me illiterate and my grammar + spelling sucks. 3. Thinks it’s arrogant and stupid for a rider to call out a driver using their phone. Not at all. We all know the rules. There is no leeway to sorry officer I was just holding down my menu button all good.

Waylon honey, you already out of your depth posting such an arsehole question in the first place. Don’t be jealous cos sheep aren’t ginger. You say sheep, I say the majority of the people that responded who were also not agreeing with your story.

Here’s a tip: if multiple say you’re sooking, there is a 99% chance you are lol.

Imply away fucktards, your opinion and interpretation means fuck all to me. But wait, there’s more!

Funny that no one can see that I’m “implying” he should keep using his phone so he ends up a statistic. Bless 😇

Tip for non-genius folk: you don’t have to tell people how intelligent you are, they’re already well aware. Also when someone calls you a genius alongside other less complimentary comments, please know it was sarcasm and you are not a genius in any way.

Cannot even see who I was directing comments at. Ok might need to reassess this statement then Waylon 🤷🏻‍♀️🤷🏻‍♀️

Stupidity really knows no bounds 🤣 proving your own intelligence to yourself doesn’t mean anything. I’m sure there are plenty of people walking around convincing themselves they are actually good people, just misunderstood. Zero evidence or confirmation from anyone else.

Didn’t know being older than anyone was prerequisite for knowing more. Heck I’ve met some dumb as fuckers my age and I’ve met some mega smart people much younger than me. Belac falls into neither category though haha.

Great to know the reputation of all NZ’ers everywhere rests on me. Wow so honoured my fellow countrymen and women. Wish they had told me first though I’d have put in more effort into making NZ look good.

Nawwww he finally gets to the fat insults. Sweetie, sweetie … I’ve looked in a mirror before, this isn’t new information 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 not sorry if I personally feel I have more value than how I look. Sad for him thinking that matters.

Never in any courses or on YouTube or any FB groups have I ever seen a requirement to be thin to ride a bike. Maybe next time he sees a massive cunt on a Harley go over and tell him that. Oh that’s right, you won’t ya pussy.

Ok ok I shouldn’t have commented he’s ugz but he started it! Nek minit, the guy he’s arguing on behalf of disowns him #ThatsHowYouKnowYouFuckedUp

Honestly the fat comment is pointless. If ya think that hurts after all these years being a tubbo (shit my dad even rags on me about it LOL) then ya just plain wrong and thick.

Attention fatties: obesity is caused by … karma and arguing? 😂😂😂 the only karma there is eat too much, exercise too little, get fat. Oh boy oh boy I love it when people show their own lack of brains and decency with comments like these. Learn some science “genius”.

Not sure if I should 😌 the fact he has put so much thought into me having sex. The visuals alone will traumatise him LOL.

Completely missed an implication that it is Belac who goes on line saying shit to make his dick appear bigger … because he got a small one not cos he said his dick bigger than anyone else’s.

Loses some of the sting when you have to explain it though so whatever.

Oh wow you got me on a grammatical error … my fat fuck heifer fingers can’t type on a phone perfectly but thankfully there is an Edit option. Can erase my bad grammar … y’all still a fuck head though Belac I can’t edit that.

I don’t think I could have BEEN more real and straight up. Only problem is when a woman has an opinion and states it and responds to haters then she’s seen as having a shitty attitude. When Belac does it that’s fine though?

Meh move on little man who thinks he’s a big boy. Slinging your pathetic shit around does more damage to you than me. When ya grow up, let me know.

Another day, another hater. Gonna ‘go fuck that card off outta here’ now 😂😂😂😂😂😂. Not sure when my next post will be but as at today 23/06/19 I have one week until I can take G Force out with my L Plate and Mr accompanying me 😻.

Two things: kangaroos and fog!

Fuck me dead, went for ride out to Esk for brekky on Saturday morning. Nebo > Glorious > Esk > Fernvale > Wivenhoe and home via the Warrego / Ipswich.

Have been on this trip several times before in both directions. Mr got home 630am and said let’s go for a ride. Who am I to deprive a man of his riding mate? 😂😂😂😂😂😂

Already knew it would be bloody cold. Most things will not put off a determined rider – rain, heat, distance, shitty QLD roads, police blitzes and having house work that needs to be done will stop you.

So I chucked on my gear, we off! Bit of fog coming over the Brisbane River on Centennial Highway. No drama and even better not much traffic. All the way up Nebo and down Glorious (besides all the losers the the cafe ffs what time did they get up???).

Other side of Glorious – not sure it has a cool name like hot mix or the goat track lol – mist have been track day. Bikes going for their lives both directions, photog on hand one particularly leany corner. Here is me and Mr putt putt through the middle, fuck all y’all you don’t own the roads lol.

Hero heads all showing each other how big their balls are. Any other context those same riders would consider it ‘gay’ to look at or show their balls 🤣. Funny old things the men folk are sometimes.

Went right onto Wivenhoe-Somerset Rd Mr found 3 kangas in the middle of the road having early morning tea party. Very close to being squished but luckily split off right before Mr ploughed into them. 4 casualties in total that would have been, 5 counting G Force as Me was riding her while his bike waits for a throttle sensor.

Survived that one little encounter but as the fog thickened (a lot) and visibility was greatly reduced opted to slow down until road was more clear. Stopped intersection Wivenhoe-Somerset Rd and Esk-Kilcoy Rd for a drink and banana, stretch me old lady bones.

G Force and Lil Boop taking a break

Not far to Esk now, hammered it out to get there cos the hunger was real right about now. Found the pirate-themed Red Deer Cafe and a spot in the alfresco dining to get warmed by the sun that was finally clear of the mountain range and fog.

Had a decent rest and feed before heading home. Brief stop at Wivenhoe Dam to use the bathroom. QLD turning on all its glory in Winter 😻

Not one of the longest rides we have been on for sure but still fantastic to kick our weekend off with a freezing cold braap up the mountains. Spoiled for choice in Brisbane!

Saw many many kangaroos and a decent amount of fog that night / Sunday morning as I stayed at a mates in Mt Cotton Saturday night. Had intended to ride home after we went to the pub (wasn’t drinking) but took one look at the fog that developed and decided meh will just leave in the morning.

Fucking Roos have put the shits up me now. Having minimal run-ins with them previously on the bike (Nebo one night and completely put me off night time mountain riding ever since!) they haven’t really bothered me even when I have seen their dopey asses standing next to the road. They either decide to run away or make a dash at crossing. Unpredictable.

Video for anyone keen to see what a GSXR-1000 vs too might look like. I feel sad for the kangaroo 🦘 not a great way to go however lucky for the rider he didn’t arse off too. The fact they are nearly the same brown shade as all the brown grass doesn’t help either.

Keep an eye out for bouncy things and the fog boogeyman. If you see a kangaroo on the roadside contemplating death, maybe be on high alert more are lurking as these weren’t the only ones we saw 👀

Short answer: Last Tuesday 🥳🥳🥳

Lil Boop (CBR500) is home after almost 2 months getting the key sorted. Two weeks of that was me dilly dallying … hoping key got handed in, hoping I win lotto and can forget about the bike 😂 or hoping by some miracle a spare part would be found for $100.

Alas, no so had to do full insurance claim #GoodbyeNoClaimsBonus but $400 excess did turn out to be around $1,800 total cost for Suncorp so really got a bargain there by comparison.

I have heard a lot about how it’s a ‘downgrade’ and ‘piece of shit’ now I’ve sampled G-Force 😻 but honestly being able to freely ride once again, no cares (except don’t get booked speeding) is better than having 1000cc’s of phwoaarrrr under you. For me anyway.

Getting on the CBR again was a lol on its own. The seat goes all the way from the top of my butt crack to the front of my … well … front. The seat I have lovingly straddled for 2 years is now a stranger to me.

Not just the seat either! The handing, the sound, the lack of power, the posture, the pegs and levers, the clutch slip, the delayed acceleration, shitty rev bombs 🤣🤣 fuck I’d tell me to shuddup even.

But as the week went on and I set out on my first group ride in a few months, the cheeky little squirt poked its head out again. I’m so torn still about moving on.

And the handling is so light and flickable. Look ma, no hands!!!!!!! I don’t even take my hands off the bars often to stretch – due to the almost upright riding position. Cheee-hoooo.

It’s been an adventure just reacquainting myself with Lil Boop. These are likely our last few weeks together. Sad but a fact of life when upgrading. Otherwise what would be the point of upgrading.

I hope there will be a newbie that loves her and gets up to as much mischief as I have lol. Long live the Little Red Queen ❤️

Update: one week back on Lil Boop and we are back to being besties.

No. No it doesn’t. Today was the highlight of my week and definitely one of my best days as a motorcyclist. I went to a private showing of Barry Sheene’s residence or what is essentially, estate of the late.

Barry Sheene, for those who don’t know, is probably the first motorcycle racing rock star. Before Rossi, Marquez, Doohan and Rainey – he brought motorcycle racing to the masses. Such a cheeky fellow and much loved. Especially by the ladies, bit of a spunk back in the day. Sadly passed away from cancer, on my birthday 2003, aged 52.

The memorabilia and personal family photos were fantastic to see, as a fan and avid motorcyclist. Due to being a motorcycle related property, Mr and I rocked up on the GSXR’s much to the agents delight and amusement (he was also a former R1 owner). I must say it was amazing to roll into such a glamorous driveway on G-Force 😻

Mr and I’s GSXR’s

Motorbikes that were housed in the dining room had been shipped off to the UK a few weeks before 😢 but there was an old Suzuki 125 proudly displayed in the foyer. You can barely go into a room without seeing Barry, his presence is very much felt throughout the house.

Trophy cabinet on the right

It would have been a hard decision for the family to put the house on the market as it holds all those memories. Hopefully the next owner embraces the love of motorcycling as Barry did. I’m glad I was able to see a little part of how Barry’s spirit and achievements live on with his family ❤️