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Racing Butterflies

Blog Date Oct 16

Ride Date Aug 16

A trip out to meet new friends gives me a place to head to and more practice on the Kawasaki. I am going to do motorways and maybe some hills. This both excites me and makes me nervous. I still can't get those butterflies out of my tummy yet.

It is August, the height of England summer sooooo...it's raining, damn it. Ahh well it's all good practice I guess. Because of the rain the speed is kept down on the motorway to around 65mph but this is a perfect for me. It is still faster than I am use to on my 125cc so it is all new to me. 

The Kawasaki reaches 65mph with easy grace. It does not struggle in the slightest and the single piston is surprisingly smooth. I have to admit it is a hell of a lot easier riding the 250cc than the 125cc on the motorway. The 125cc at 60 to 65 mph is giving its all. That screaming engine and vibration can sometimes be what makes riding a 125cc so much fun. But the very same thing can take its toll on the motorway and can leave you feeling a bit frazzled. Despite the heavy rain I feel quite at ease on the motorway with the Kawasaki. 

Once at our friend's house I am warned about steep hills on the chosen route. YIKES !!! Please do not drop the bike Sharon I mutter in my head. The butterflies that had settled take flight once more. However our host leader is a true gent and the speed he maintains is easily manageable. The hills we encounter are mild in comparison to my imagination and I soon settle down and enjoy the scenery and the ride. So much so that when our host asks if he is going too fast for me I am happy to report that it's fine, no problems at all. In fact though I was happy at the pace I could have happily gone faster......Haaa haa so much for butterflies.
 
The butterflies did catch me up for a short time when we came to a muddy track. It was slippery and gravely. There were cow pats to slide across and even at one point cows themselves to avoid. We had to stop on several occasions due to numerous gates across the path and each time I had to put my toes down I hoped they would not slip. Then comes a rather steep uphill switchback. But them butterflies???? They got stuck way back in a cow pat because though I see it I don't really worry. I am beginning to trust this bike more now and my ability to control it. The switchback was dare I say not a problem at all. I could now relax enough to enjoy the ride and admire the lovely views. 

However the inability to flat foot and the weight of the bike is still a concern. If I forget to carefully plan where I stop the bike I can find myself stuck and needing help to move the bike. I find this frustrating after always being able to get myself and my 125 out of tight spots etc. But overall  it was a great day. I got to meet lovely people, have a great ride and build my confidence. The more I ride this bike the more I like it. It surprised me in its ability to handle slippery dirt tracks. It delighted me how smooth it was on the motorway. I was ecstatic I got to race the butterflies and leave them behind for a while.  

Sharon's 250 out with 2 500s in the wild countrysideOut with the big boys and keeping up - see ya later butterflies 

For more details see Pocket Pete's Mystery Tour

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