Category: Reflection

Reflecting on the bike

I have to be honest, when I first got the bike I was quite upset. The first ride was a terrible experience and I couldn’t quite understand how I would be able to ride all the way to Austria and back again. I have been riding Ducati Monsters for about 12 years and I have always been told about the awful vibrations that the Ducatis have. Well in the end I did suffer a bit from the vibrations so I believed it to be true.

Therefore I could hardly believe it when taking the Versys out for the first time. The vibrations were terrible. In the handle bars, footpegs and from the engine. I could not bear myself to embrace the engine with my legs like usual and the riding position was really awkward partly due to that, partly because the saddle sloped forward so I kept sliding.

the Lazy Cat takes me on roads where the Monster wouldn't venture
the Lazy Cat takes me on roads where the Monster wouldn't venture

Well, there was not much to do. I’m stubborn in the best of times and this just became a challenge like everything else. I had a week to do the first 1000 kilometres before first service check and it was a week hot as hell in Madrid. I went online to search information and found useful things on both the American and the British forum for Kawasaki Versys. I also got patted on the head for complaining about the vibrations (needles to say that I do hate when guys do that). Apparently I should have known that parallel twins vibrate lots and worse than a V-twin. Well, this information arrived a bit late since the bike was now mine and I had to deal with it. But it seemed like more people had had the same problems that I suffered from and with some tips I found some ideas for improved comfort. More important though was the information that the Versys vibrations would smoothen out after breaking in and even more so during the first 5000 kilometres. I crossed my fingers and decided that, if not, next summer I change bike again.

I love it when things come true. The vibrations did ease out, not so much during breaking in though. I still had a lot of discomfort when heading out and riding north. But at some point in Austria things seemed quite a lot better and by now only the footpegs are still a problem. I still have to investigate the effect of dampening soles for my boots. My hands are okay, the fingers don’t buzz after riding and I’m very pleased with that.

As for the riding position, I liked it almost immediately when the problem with the seat was sorted out and the vibration from the engine smoothened out that is. I’m sitting so nicely on the Versys, like a queen. I honestly think that I can now never go back to riding a Ducati Monster again, actually I will look into moving the pegs a bit to the back and down to improve comfort even more. I’m not sure about the windscreen. I guess it does help when riding long distances but the buzz from the wind is awful, I can’t quite figure out if it is better with the extension or not, and turbulence is probably different with the different height at different speeds. Earplugs are now essential, even for short rides as when going to work.

not a pretty bike but there is a cool ugliness about it - and the view we see together is stunning
not a pretty bike but there is a cool ugliness about it - and the view we see together is stunning

I still miss not being a Ducatista and I’m not yet in love with my Versys, but quite fond of it. It has given me back the will to ride on and on and never stop. I grieve that summer holiday is finished and lots of work is ahead of me. I commute to work and the Versys is fantastic in heavy traffic, so easy to manoeuvre and well balanced with the upright riding position. I’m now accustomed to the difference in acceleration and breaking so riding a Lazy Cat is now normality, probably the Monster would seem like a wild tiger now in comparison. The gearbox is smooth and when riding slow I can still use 2 or 3rd gear which gives a relaxed ride and the good suspension allows riding over speed bumps comfortably. Still, it is depressing to have to turn off the highway at the point when the traffic eases off, preferably I would like to continue north and head for France.

First part done, soon leaving Spain

This year’s Forza tour is divided in 4 parts and now I have already done the first and tomorrow morning I will get on the ferry and hopefully have a good rest and write about it.

Yesterday, I stayed in Benicassim, a pretty town on the coast. I wasn’t able to write anything because I had gotten the offer to store away my bike in the backyard of the hotel, and I forgot the laptop in the top case.

Today I’m in Barcelona and I spent the evening with a friend in my favourite bar, the Cat Bar.

Before I go to sleep, some sweet words about the topcase. Some say it is ugly, I don´t care, it is the best thing that has happened to my packing. It is almost as good as Twoflower’s pearwood luggage case in “The Colour of Magic” by Terry Prachett, except that it doesn’t follow me it follows the bike.

The helmet – to remove it or not?!

This is a question I have been thinking about a lot since I attended a first aid course last autumn. The opinion seems to differ between countries, which is confusing.

Previously, when I have attended first aid courses in Sweden, the instructions have been clear about the priority – if the person is not breathing, remove the helmet. Naturally, removing the helmet is a tricky business and it has to be done with great care of the neck and spine, but there is a special procedure to do it safely, preferably by two people. However, if you can’t breathe you die, so helmet off to start mouth to mouth and chest compression was the instruction.

At the first aid course last autumn, here in Spain, the teacher got a bit upset when I told her about what I’d previously learned. She claimed that it was too risky for the spine and that mouth to mouth could be done through the visor gap (apparently she didn’t know how a helmet fits the head) or simply just do the compressions. She also said that in Japan mouth to mouth is not done at all, only chest compressions. Later, when I checked info with friends in Sweden, that are both bikers and medical doctors, the information was clear – helmet off, but do it safely. So, apparently this is something that is thought of differently in different countries. I find it a bit surprising that there aren’t standardised European guidelines about this.

When riding behind a Tele Pizza scooter delivery the other day I could read a sticker on his healmet saying “in case of an accident, don’t remove helmet”. So it might be the case that I now live in a country where I, in case of an accident, will die with my spine intact and with my helmet on. Maybe this is to prevent people ripping the helmet off at first chance, but I would prefer education to prohibition.

Another matter in case of an emergency is how to keep personal information. Since I often ride alone, I need ways to store information that can be found by, for example, medical staff. Before, I have made cards with phone numbers etc, which I put in my wallet or in my bag, but this can be difficult for others to find. Now one solution was presented by the Swedish bikers union, SMC. They’ve sent ICE medical cards to their members. These cards can be put inbetween the shell and the padding of the helmet and are combined with a sticker saying “medical card in helmet”. All neat and nice, when eventually the helmet is removed.

In addition, I found something that might be more useful outside Sweden, U-tag ICE. It is an ID tag to put around your neck and the beauty with it is the USB storage that you can fill with the information you want and it works in 7 different languages. Some initial information can also be engraved on the tag and – this is super clever – documents can be uploaded and encrypted so it can be used to store copies of driver’s licence, insurance, etc. The U-tag also comes with stickers which inform that ICE can be found on the rider.