The forecast had been for snow and the weather guessers were right! I walked out of the data center, job done, and found Valencia waiting for me, covered in snow:
Warming up Valencia
The ride home was in windy conditions which drove snow into me as I motored along. Valencia ran smoothly and strongly through the light early morning traffic. The snow was falling so heavily it reminded me of that screensaver provided with Windows computers: Starfield. It was as if I was flying through the dark of space, with thousands of specks of light coming at me, lit by my headlight. Quite nice actually, though a bit of a view obscuration factor.
Every now and then, a couple of wipes by my gloved hands across the visor ensure I could see what I could of the path ahead. My heated grips were on high, and the rest of my riding gear kept me warm and mostly dry.
I really have to recover the leg guards from Yoshie, my Suzuki V-Strom Sidecar Rig, who is still awaiting repairs at the dealer. Snow coated my shins as you can see below and caused some leakage into my boots:
A little blurry but you get the idea....
So, got home with no issues. I present to you Valencia....aka creamsicle:
16 comments:
Thank goodness the snow is back where it belongs! Valencia's lovely color looks good with a frosting of snow.
I love the description of riding through the falling snow. Sounds like Valencia is in her element.
Thanks Bluekat....yep, I like the snow where it is now, though we didn't get much of it. Thanks for your comments.
Charlie6:
Isn't that always the way? You bring an umbrella and it doesn't rain. You get a new Valencia, and NO snow, until now. Enjoy it now before it goes away until next year.
Valencia looks good with that slight white frosting of snow.
bob
Riding the Wet Coast
Reading your blogs has got me speculating about sidecar rigs. I am always in awe of where and when you will take the rig out. But you have me rolling on the floor with "creamsicle". Priceless!! Perfect description.
Dear Charlie6 (Dom):
Now you have piqued my interest. You mentioned you had the heated grips cranked on "high." What is the output of the newly designed alternator?
Glad you are buzzing around again in the environment that you like best. You and Richard M.
Fondest regards,
Jack/reep
Twisted Roads
Bobskoot, yep for a while there I was thinking I'd bought myself a snow-preventer....still, I've gotten her past the engine break-in period....and the mountains beckon this coming weekend.
Beemergirl, thanks for the kind words and glad you liked the creamsicle nickname....
Jack, it's a Nippon Denso alternator...putting out 55amps I am told. I've not gotten around to putting a voltmeter on Valencia yet but the GEN light has not come on while operating. The Oxford grips I installed heat up well, my hands rarely require me going past level 2. Level 4 feels like my hands are burning, through the gloves.
Thanks for the visit.
You didn't mention if your pizza stayed warm on the ride home but I do know eating it on the garage floor can't be good!! :P
I can't imaging the grips would pull more that 5 amps even running on high. My KLR only makes 17 amps max and with my heated seat and grips both on high the voltage stays above 13.2 volts at idle.
Finally you can test out Valencia in the snow. Isn't that what you wanted her for? Have fun riding donuts as long as it lasts.
Wow! 55 amps! That's almost 700 watts. You can add just about anything now. Kind of a sick pleasure in seeing someone else still dealing with snow...
Jon Risor, thanks for visiting....re the pizza box, shall we just say my teenage sons are getting lazy again?
I've a 55Amp alternator so I think I'll be fine in terms of draw from the system when using the heated grips.
SonjaM, it wasn't much of a snow fall really, perhaps an inch of snow/ice mixture....it'll all be gone by tomorrow...streets are mostly dry now. Very boring.
Richard....sick pleasure? Ya know, I may have to sell the Suzuki Rig once I get it back....
Mr Riepe
To answer your inferred question, the grips only draw 4 amps...and with a 55amp alternator on the system.....
But I would only be interested in the side car...
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