I passed the ABATE course today! I didn't do particularly well on the skills test. I was pretty frustrated. In fact I failed the first skills test, as did several other riders in my range. The instructors allowed us to retake the skills test, and I passed.

I wouldn't characterize it as acing the test.

My biggest problems were the slow-speed maneuvering -- where you're supposed to u-turn the bike inside a 10 foot box -- and the full-brake application.

In the low-speed maneuvering section, I couldn't hold it in a tight loop and ended up riding outside the box. Points deducted.

For the full-brake application, I did everything fine except I forgot to downshift into first. Points deducted, but not enough to keep me from passing.

I showed up after work at the ABATE Beginner's Riding Course tonight, hoping to get in. The course was fully booked so I was on "stand-by"

There were 6 of us waiting to get into the course and only 3 openings. We drew straws and I drew number 4. Bummer!

But the guy who drew number 3 was taking the class with his dad, who drew number 5. He bowed out of the running cause he didn't want to take the course alone. That moved everyone else up a notch and waddayaknow, I'm in!

I wore jeans and boots thinking I'd get to ride tonight. Instead we had about 4 hours of classroom material to cover. Oh, well, I'll get to ride tomorrow.

My wife goes riding every night after the kids go to bed. It's been four years since she took the ABATE course, so she's taking her time to refresh her skills.

My wife's kickstand is bent, and the bike leans pretty far to the left when it is parked. I bet it happened when I trailered the bike home from Michigan. It was my first ever trailering of a motorcycle, and I relied on the folks who sold it to me to know how to load it up and strap it in. It seemed kind of strange to me to leave the kickstand down while strapping the front end down, but they seemed sure of themselves and I went with it.

The kickstand is bent and the wooden floor of the trailer is all chewed up from the kickstand biting into it with every bump. I don't care about the floor of the trailer.

I looked for replacement kickstands and couldn't find any except for a $200 one at denniskirk.com.

I'm not gonna spend that kind of money on a 20 year old bike.

So tonight I put her bike up on the center stand, and dug out my metric wrenches. I took the kickstand off the bike, and hammered the kickstand back into a shape that resembled straight.

I put the kickstand back on the bike. Much better.

My first repair. Hey, we all gotta start somewhere.

Happy Birthday

I bought my wife a 1984 Honda VF500C V30 Magna motorcycle for her birthday.