1.5 Book Reviews

Several years ago I bought The Perfect Vehicle: What It Is About Motorcycles by Mellisa Holbrook Pierson for my Father as a gift. As a matter of course, this was under the guise of a gift but I really wanted to read it. I found it to be a great book and it really conveys the subtitle nicely. The author of that book describes reading One Man Caravan by Robert E. Fulton Jr. and subsequently meeting the author. The former book is a good read and I reccomend it for motorcyclists and non-motorcyclists alike. The latter tome I received as a Christmas gift this year and finished it on the eve of Jan. 25th. One month, not bad for a scatterbrain such as myself.

Mr. Fulton was the first documented person to circumnavigate the globe on a motorbike. I won't bore you with re-writing the dust jacket notes but it's a pretty amazing story about a twenty something kid who blurts out at a dinner party that he will ride around the world on a motorcycle. After saying it he thinks he'd better keep his word and off he goes.
There is not a whole lot of actual motorcycle stuff in this other than the odd get-off and some mud and chain issues. There is much more than in The Motorcycle Diaries, however. The book is about the journey and it's a really good read. Go to the library and check it out.
As an aside, it's also very interesting to compare the state of the world, politically, to how things are today. I'm currently reading Long Way Round and I'll give a quick review of that when I'm done.

Paddock Stands pt. 2

I finally made some time to install my Heli Bars on the SV. I will not be riding the bike for a while due to the weather and well... the weather. I used the triple tree stand with my new T-Rex front stand and it worked very well. They reccomend you do not raise or lower the bike by yourself. I raised it myself but had a friend help me lower it and I would definitely reccomend that. Having the bike hanging from the lower tree makes taking the top tree off a breeze. (you are correct Markus!!) The bar swap went well and I think the small amount the bars move from stock will be just what I need comfort-wise. Visually, the bike looks the same. The Heli bars are very nicely made. You can do a search on YouTube for Heli Modified and see some videos fo how they are made. I think this will be the ticket. The next project will be to eliminate that snow shovel hanging off the back of the tail section.
(pictures to follow)
Rock on.