21/5/2013 - To The Moon And Back

No, this ain't a tribute to the song by Savage Garden. Rather, I have just returned after an hour plus' ride and it is now midnight, so it felt like I have been to the moon and back.

I am drenched in sweat. I am hot and thirsty. But I have a big, fat smile on my face.

Why? Read on.

The night started innocntly enough. I had dinner, I did the dishes, I replied some Company e-mails and smses from abroad, I put my kid to sleep and it was almost 11 pm by then. Wifey was busy on her Apple and I was contemplating between retiring for the night or doing some reading.

Then, it hit me- why not take a ride?

I donned on my jeans, got my AGV from the helmets' shelf, hugged my wifey goodbye and swaggered downstairs.

Silver started at the first push of the button, and I straddled upon the bella and left the carpark.

Once on the road, I began experimenting with Silver's gear changes. I took her out for a short spin around the block the other day and was rather frustrated by the lack of power. I then read on this Aprilia's race-bred Rotax engine and found that the power delivery was in the high RPMs.

I decided to try what I read ie to ride the bike as though I stole it.

And I then discovered the powerband of this engine. You would ride until you feel that the gear you are using is up to its limit, then shift upwards and the engine would gun forward even more aggressively. You could really feel the urgency of the engine. Work with the RPMs and you coul d flip the bike from corner to corner, and it would simply stay put.

It was simply simple fun at its best. At one point, an R6 came and revved by my side on the highway, and I think the rider was surprised that I could keep up with its bike for quite a while. Not bad for a small lil' Tuono R.

Of course, there are a few niggling matters that may require attention from the mechanic. There's some oil stains on the carpark floor, the horn was not working, the neutral gear seemed to be elusive and there was a buzz-like sensation on the footrests during lower RPMs Which is the reason that I am bring Silver to Az's shop for a check-up and to do up these issues, to fully enjoy Silver.

Hi-yo Silver! Ride away!

Update : After Az's checking, he updated me that the oil stains were unburnt fuel atypical of the Rotax engine, and it was true that after I rode Silver hard, I no longer see the oil stains on the garage floor. The low RPM vibrations were due to worn balance shaft gears needing replacements, which would be replaced shortly amongst other fixes to ensure that Silver is in its best condition!