Where Is Maggie Mae?

Seems like yesterday I dismissed the negative feedback from those who said I could not ride a Buell Blast to Michigan, across the "Big Bridge" and home again.  Well I did it and then the next year rode to Maine and this past summer out to Texas.  At 55,000 miles that ride suddenly and very sadly came to a halt.  As of this writing we have not cracked the motor to see what went wrong.

I am far too addicted to be without a ride, so the 2005 was immediately replaced with a 2009 Buell Blast and the ride continues.

Seems like yesterday I dismissed the negative feedback from those who said I could not ride a Buell Blast to Michigan, across the "Big Bridge" and home again.  Well I did it and then the next year rode to Maine and this past summer out to Texas.  At 55,000 miles that ride suddenly and very sadly came to a halt.  As of this writing we have not cracked the motor to see what went wrong. I am far too addicted to be without a ride, so the 2005 was immediate replaced with a 2009 Buell Blast and the ride continues.

It's been 6 months, 8,000 miles and I love this one as much as the first.  In July we head north to Michigan again, across the Mackinac Bridge and into the Upper Peninsula heading towards Wisconsin and Minnesota, two states we have not yet ridden.  That will pretty much finish off our list of states to ride through with a few exceptions along the extreme east coast, Hawaii and Alaska, but those will come in due time.

My lesson learned from all this is that never take no for an answer if you truly believe in yourself and what your dream is. Also, there is no "norm" for what should be considered a touring or sport touring bike.  The bike you want to ride is the bike that will take you on the adventures of a lifetime if you want it enough. I'm not saying it's as comfortable as a Gold Wing or reliable as a Yamaha, but if I'm willing to tolerate the minor discomforts of riding a single cylinder 500cc bike thousands of miles, then I have my chariot, the rest is up to me.

I must then give my undying gratitude to my best friend, riding buddy & husband who also serves as my mechanic.  For without him, I would not have made even the first 1,000 miles.  Thumper - thanks for 63,000 miles of fun, laughter and joy.  Here's to the next 63,000+

The Road Goes on Forever, The Party NEVER Ends!

Happy Trails...

Done!!  To Michigan and Home.

The Blast now has over 27,700+ miles.

Thanks to everyone who has supported me and to all those

I meet on the road - Happy Trails!

Mission Statement

 

To share my motorcycle adventures with others.

To encourage others to "get out there and ride".

To share photographs of my travels.

Hopefully to inspire others to begin a motorcycle journey of their own.  

As noted in the Bike Information section of this website, my current ride is a 2005 Buell Blast.  This is the smaller of the Buell sport bike line designed by Erik Buell and sold at Harley-Davidson dealerships.  Also included in that section is information on my previous motorcycle, a 1999 Yamaha V-Star Classic.  In the year and a half that I owned the V-Star I put just over 26,000 miles on it, an indication that I truly loved the bike.  It was traded in, along with my husband’s cruiser, a Vulcan 1500, for the Gold Wing.

 

When it was time for me to take the controls once again, I naturally thought I would return to the cruiser world, most likely another V-Star. The bike is made exceptionally well, handles great, can accommodate a short (5 foot) rider like myself who prefers to “flat foot it” and has a price tag that will not break the bank. 

 

Enter the Blast factor.  During Biketoberfest in Daytona Beach, October 2004, casually strolling down Main Street I came across a used Blast for sale.  Sitting on it I was almost immediately hooked.  It just felt right.  Before making any decision I decided to go to the Harley dealer and see what the bike went for new.  There, out front sat a midnight black Blast.  Minutes later I was amazed to hear myself tell the salesman “I’ll take it”. I am not one to make rash, spur of the moment decisions.  All the way home I was talking to myself “what were you thinking?”  

 

The bottom line: Now that I have ridden this bike, I can’t shake it.  I can’t get it out of my system.  I have never been so consumed by a bike.  I like the fact that it fits me so well. I absolutely love the way it glides through curves.  It has the power I need to get up on the highway & scoot right along and gets just over 150 miles on a tank of gas.  It is by far the most fun I have ever had riding a bike. 

 

So I plan to ride it to Michigan.  I wrote to Buell enquiring whether the 500cc single-cylinder motor could handle such a trip.  Erik Buell personally wrote me back saying the bike was made to be ridden.  I plan to put it through its paces. True, it’s not a cruiser, not a touring bike – nonetheless, I plan to get as many miles as I possibly can out of it.

 

I have 11,650 miles on the motor as I sit writing this.  We leave for Michigan at the beginning of June.  Stay tuned for updates on my preparations for the ride.  Once we are on the road, I will chronicle my journey north, as well as the return ride. 

 

Also, be sure to check the Weekend Wonderings section to see where the Blast and I have been lately.

 

Thanks for reading….see you out there on the road!

 

Maggie Mae 

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