Happy 10th Birthday, Eleanor!

This is how Eleanor, my 2007 Yamaha FJR1300AWC and my long-time companion on many a journey, started her 10th year of operation...by not operating very well at all! (Cameo by my cousin who took me home after my tow.)

Eleanor officially turned ten years old on April 26, 2017. This is a testament to both the stubbornness and longevity of this bike and its owner. However, the last couple years have slowed her down a bit as the combination of the road salt of the Midwest, mileage, and having endured every rideable weather condition imaginable in all that time caught up with her. Her electrical connections have required some rehab and cleaning, and every now and then, those issues reappear and deem her unsafe to operate on the street.

Case in point, her headlights stopped functioning on April 25 as I was leaving from my class that night at CSULB. I made it down one exit on the 405 North before I pulled off and hung out at a gas station and a donut shop for about three hours while I waited for a tow truck to transport Eleanor back to Pacific Motorsports in Harbor City. Allow me to explain my difficulties.

I swear, I still love Eleanor. But dammit why is she such a diva?! 😂😢😭 The lady at the gas station is nice, though. #technicaldifficulties #motorcycleproblems #waitingforatowtruck #itsonlyTuesday #post1500

A post shared by Christine (@twowheeledtourist) on Apr 25, 2017 at 9:06pm PDT

Now, I will say that this long span of time being stranded did allow me to broadcast a couple Facebook Live posts and reconnect with a few friends online that I hadn't spoken to in years. When the first tow truck arrived an hour later, I had to decline it because the person showed up without a flatbed vehicle. The second driver, Matt from SoCal Moto Transport, brought the appropriate equipment and vehicle and performed a flawless transport of both her and me back to Harbor City.

Here's Eleanor being lifted onto her throne like the #diva she is. #HappyBirthday you crazy #motorcycle. Towing provided by @socalmototransport. #Yamaha #FJR1300 #roadsideassistance

A post shared by Christine (@twowheeledtourist) on Apr 25, 2017 at 11:35pm PDT

I referenced some posts from this time last year, and not surprisingly, Eleanor encountered the exact same issue with her headlights and spent her 9th birthday at the dealership as well. It's pretty obvious that I need a more permanent solution to this repair. However, that engine still runs as strong as the day I bought her from Long Beach Yamaha (now Del Amo Motorsports Long Beach) ten years ago.

4/26/07...Happy 9th birthday, Eleanor! You get to spend it with Uncle Robert at Pacific Yamaha in #HarborCity because your headlights decided to stop working on Sunday. I'll eat a cupcake on your behalf. #happybirthday #sadface #partyfoul #Yamaha #FJR1300 #motorcycle #companion #blowoutthecandles #itsjustafleshwound

A post shared by Christine (@twowheeledtourist) on Apr 26, 2016 at 10:44am PDT

I wonder if Eleanor has just become a diva in her old age or likes facials, but regardless of the reason, it's been a bit inconvenient to have her unavailable to use for my random video shoots or for those moments when I want to go far but reduce the amount of dead dinosaur juice that I want to burn. My solution, a new addition to my vehicle fleet, will be introduced in another post. I'm still unwilling to give up on my old friend, but my very busy life meant that some issues had to be rectified. I'm very confident that she'll be back to somewhat normal; I just have to wait a little longer.

Enjoy your facial, you silly bike.

It's been a long ten years, Eleanor, but we made it this far! She hit the 190k mile mark on our way home from Pacific Palisades. Her engine is still strong and kicking! Hoping to make it to 200k by the end of 2018. #Yamaha #FJR1300 #mileagequeen #Torrance

A post shared by Christine (@twowheeledtourist) on Apr 24, 2017 at 11:11pm PDT

[The Bittersweet] SoCal Refresher Course

In the beginning of March, I had the impromptu chance to go home to Southern California for a few days for a job interview. This was a trip I had to keep under wraps until I knew what was going to happen, so if this is the first time you're ever hearing about this, don't feel so bad...I feel better enough to talk about it now.

With the company I was interviewing with paying for the flight, the only thing I had to arrange was lodging and a motorcycle to ride. Fortunately I have an extended family and good friends to help me out. Leaving at 6AM EST on a Thursday with a stopover in Chicago's O'Hare International Airport (which, in ironic fashion, is the only time I've ever arrived there by air), I reached LAX by 9:30AM PST and proceeded to have a nice lunch with my aunt (a.k.a. one of the only biological relations I have that hasn't disowned me yet). After that, it was some relaxing and motorcycle riding before my interview the following day.

This was the first time I've returned to the area in two years (to read about that 2011 adventure, click here), so I did what I could to make the best of it. Here are some photos of the places I still call home.

Taking my motorcycle gas tank to the limit...

In one of my last rides back up to Mentor a few weeks ago, I decided to take a gamble and find out how far I could really stretch Eleanor's gas tank. I left Columbus at 11:30PM on a Sunday night and rode straight up the highway without stopping, rolling into the Speedway at OH-91/US-20 in the wee hours of Monday morning.

Here's a little bit of background information (for those who are new to my blog). Eleanor is a 2007 Yamaha FJR1300A. The gas tank in an FJR1300 has a capacity of 6.6 gallons and fuel economy averages anywhere from 35-43 MPG depending on traffic and riding conditions. When I ride mostly freeway and no faster than 70MPH, I can hover in the 39-41 MPG range. I think I was pretty successful in sipping almost every drop out of her.

In hindsight, testing this theory at 2AM during a non-stop ride from Columbus to Eastlake, OH wasn't one of the wisest things to do, but at least I now know that panicking doesn't begin until after 55 miles into reserve. Whatever. I still win.