Back for another season. I dragged the bike out of the shed, with Scott's help, on March 12. That is early for the Great White North, and I had to back porch it for the first weekend, but I have been for a couple of shorts rides this week.

Very happy with the Odyssey battery, especially as compared to the Yamacrap. I had to put the old one on the trickle charger once a month for the winter months, but the Odyssey wasn't charged once, and when I went to do it on March 11 .... charger kept flashing over to FULL. I was amazed. Yet on Venturerider.org they talk about the Deka ETX20L, which is suppose to be even better, I think I may check that one out, if anything ever happens to the Odyssey.

I did a brief run along Twenty Mile Rd (RR 69) and then looped around to drop into the Motorcycle Gear Store on Hwy 20, just on the outskirts of Smithville. From his humble beginnings of about 20 jackets and a few odds and ends he has really built quite the store. I liked the look of a jacket there, but I am still a little undecided between leather and textile. The textiles are so much lighter, can separate them into cooler jackets and a ton of pockets. But, I like the "look" of leather on a cruiser, versus a touring jacket. But, I'm riding a touring cruiser. Aaahh, as you see .... undecided. Since my weight loss the old leather looks a little ridiculous. So I better do something soon. I should of went to the January Motorcycle show at the Airport Center, but somehow snoozed and must of missed it.

I have noticed a tiny bit of cracking on the rear Avon tire. Nothing like some others have reported on Venturerider.org but I will keep an eye on it and my rear pressure. With the mileage (kilometerage?) that I put on, this will probably be the end of the rear tire anyway. I have 13000 km on it already, but not something you want to have to worry about at $165 a tire plus the $100 install. Too bad because I really liked the way those tires rode, still do! Have to come to a decision by the beginning of next year, why put on a new tire to sit in the shed and freeze?