April 29: When the Rubber Meets the Road

If you had asked me a few years ago if I would ever be the type of girl to drool over motorcycle tires, I would have thought you were crazy. But I have to say my heart is palpitating over the new 50-50 tires put on The Adventure Baby today. After spending much of my time fishtailing down the last dirt road a couple weeks ago, I decided to put one more investment into the bike before shipping it off to Iceland. I am so glad I did.

It has been so much fun learning about a whole different style of bike after years of enjoying my Harley. While nothing will ever compare with the raw power available in my Harley Baby, I must say I am falling deeply in love with The Adventure Baby. With a new skid plate, engine guards, lowering link, custom seat, and tail rack installed he was pretty much ready to go overseas.

However, two weeks ago when I decided to try him out on a rather loose gravel road a couple hours south of here, it was rather unnerving to fill the rear tire sliding back and forth while trying to propel myself down the road. Chance at Beaverton Honda clued me in to the Dunlop Trailmax Mission tires and after spending a fair amount of time researching these 50-50 beauties, I decided to take the plunge.

While the verdict is still out, the reviews I’ve read so far have been heartening. And the miles I put on dirt and gravel today were confidence building. After fortifying myself with my favorite barbacoa tacos at La Panchanga, I headed west on highway 26 and then south on Hayward Road. My brother lives several miles up this dirt and gravel lane and I figured that visiting him would provide me with an excellent opportunity to test out the performance of my bike.

Although there were a few stomach clenching moments on loose gravel downhill and deep gravel littered with potholes, overall, the bike seemed to grip the road far better than before, providing me with a sense of stability as I practiced keeping an even pace and using my gears rather than brakes to slow down. The tread on the tires is specifically designed for adventure bikes and allows me to smoothly sail down the highway without experiencing any new vibration or noise while at the same time confidently gripping loose surfaces. The tires are also highly rated for durability, with many users reporting getting 8,000 miles or more out of their tires.

I have been working an extraordinary number of tutoring hours in the evenings and weekends this year to make this summer’s European adventure possible. I have also been given some very generous assistance from a faithful sponsor. So, it is exciting to see everything coming together. Here’s to a great next few months!