Welcome to my and Edith’s Blog! I’ve never done a “blog”..not sure even what the heck a “blog” is, but here goes. This will be a chronicle of our adventures and things we are doing. Kinda like a journal. This past week Edith got a motorcycle and I have been teaching her how to ride it. Starting out with baby steps and so far she is doing very well! I own a 1982 Honda Goldwing “Aspencade” motorcycle and now Edith owns a 1982 Honda “Silverwing” 500cc Motorcycle. Only fitting that we both have “wings” I guess. I’ve been riding for a few years, however this the first time Edith has ever been on a bike other than the back of mine, so it's a huge step for her! This was her idea, in fact I somewhat discouraged the idea at first because I didn't think she could handle the pressure of riding. Not that riding isn't fun and is pressure, but on the highway you have to be 110% all the time and watch out for the other guy. But, she wants to learn and who am I to stand in the way. Frankly, I'm quite proud of her and she has taken to the bike quickly.We started out with just having her "walk" the bike. This is where I had her get used to the clutch and only allow it to make the bike start rolling. Then while sitting on the bike, she walked it around a parking lot so she could become accustomed with how much throttle she needs to make it go, how loose the clutch reacts before engaging fully and basically getting used to the controls. She did a great job of handling the bike! Our next lesson called for her to now let the bike's clutch engage and make the bike go. For this she would be fully "riding" the bike, in other words her feet on the pegs and the bike running under it's own control. I had her simply run around in circles several times to get a feel for the bike. Then she reversed the circle and did figure eights. By the end of the lesson she was using 1st, and 2nd gear and riding.Her next lesson will consist of braking, turning, stopping and then I will have her navigate a course whereby she will have to stop, start, turn and perform many of the tasks she will face on an open road.After those lessons she will get her learners permit and her training will move to the back-roads of our town. She has set several goals for herself, including dates to make a short distance ride and then a long distant ride before the end of summer.You can see photos and videos of her riding at the end of this text block.About the Bike: Edith saw this bike at a used car dealership for several days and stopped to ask about it. Because she is a woman they didn't take her seriously and didn't tell her much about the bike. After they figured out she did have some knowledge of bikes and even told them things about their own bikes they told her about the Silverwing.Back in 1981-83 Honda made a smaller version of the Goldwing and called it the Silverwing. All they really did is put a fairing and hard bags/trunk on a CV500. In 1983 they upgraded it to the CB650. But for the most part, the bike is a CV500 with the moniker "Silverwing" emblazoned on the side. Today's silverwings are scooters and look allot like the Suzuki Bergman. But this bike had a look and feel like the Goldwing.
Edith's bike has a detactchable windshield instead of a true fairing, this makes the bike lighter. It has it's stock hard bags that detach and can be carried like luggage. It's missing its trunk so we have replaced the trunk with an old leather tool bag I was not using. The bike is painted dark cherry and looks black in most photos but in good sunlight the paint job is very well done and gives the bike smooth look. It has only one problem, a small oil leak that Honda says they can fix for about $150.00. So far it hasn't leaked any oil for us over the few days she has had it here at home. Edith is on a business trip and we both will be in Oklahoma next weekend (Memorial Day Weekend) so her rider training will have to wait till we get back. At the rate she is progressing she should be riding the roads in only a few weeks.
Here is Edith "Walking the Bike" video: (see Video Below)
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