Biking dislikes

Here's my fair share of dislikes on biking:

1. HOT & SWEATY : When I first started riding, just putting on the protective jacket, gloves and helmet made me loose easily half a kilo of perspiration! Now that I'm semi-pro, I think I loose about 250gm.
2. RESTRICTIVE MOVEMENTS : due to space constrains, can't move about much. Most extravagant reflexes I can afford is stretching my short legs at traffic lights / when I have to get down for rocker57 to pump fuel / tea break or arrival at destination.
3. LACK OF FRONTAL VIEW : most times, I see the back of rocker57's helmet or side view. At the speed he is going, I need to give him aerodynamic speed, so have to be considerate....meaning no view!!
4. NO MUSIC : ah...that I know can be resolved if I want to spend some extra $$$$. My Nolan helmet can be installed with bluetooth and MP4!!! Can you beat that!!!  Notice the n.com thingy...that's where I can add my MP4 and bluetooth, cool eh?
5. LUGGING HELMET EVERYWHERE : with the pricey helmet, its like carrying a Gucci, goes without saying...don't leave bike without it. Cumbersome but what the heck...
6. LUGGAGE SPACE : the lack of it, makes one a smarter traveller but not necessary a pretty traveller. Loads of restrain, bare minimum hence no make-up only sunblock!
7. BAD HAIR DAY : After each trip, my hair get tangled up so bad, I end up losing most of my beautiful natural curly locks!!! And ouch...it hurts!!! The trick? Place tied hair inside jacket!! And....wear a bandanna. Viola, hip & rocking! No bad hair day.
8. NO SUNNIES : Full face helmets and good helmets comes fitted. Hence they didn't allocate space for sunnies/shades or sun glasses whichever you are familiar with. So advisable to buy a helmet with shades, like "mua"
9. REEKING ODOR / AROMA : If I were to be blind, I would know when I'm about to reach KLIA junction. Why, you may ask? Well, it reeks of the stench from the pig farms surrounding the area, duh!!! Freaking strong too. Ah...but the joy of smelling the smell of freshly brewed coffee from the temple that I just passed or the freshly baked cakes from the bakery...priceless! 
10. DRENCHED FROM RAIN : catch 22 situation, I love the rain but I hate to be drenched...C.O.L.D!!! Plus if travelling, need a spare set of clothes.

If you are a biker or reader, what would be your dislikes apart from what I've mentioned? Come, share your thoughts.

Passion

Kawa-babe has been left idle lately since rocker57's key-holes surgery to remove his gall bladder. (posing in the nude minus its clothes....i.e. bike cover..hehehe...)

Passion is something unexplainable. 4 hours out from surgery guess what rocker57 asked the doctor? "Dr, when I can ride my bike?" instead of asking the surgeon when the wounds would heal or when he would totally recover. (shaking my head in disbelief when I heard that!)The doctor cautioned him not to lift heavy things and advised him to lay low for at least 3 weeks.

Men, do they listen? Oh No! 11 days later, he sneaked off for a hour's spin on the new SKVE highway that I mentioned to him I found out the day before when I was showing someone a property in Putrajaya. Can't chain him down, right? Well, just have to support but caution him on implications should he over exert himself, sigh. He almost went for another spin later the same evening but both my daughter and I stopped him, lest he outdid himself. Glad he cared to listen.

Even while he was on medical leave, he was busy planning where to go for the upcoming holidays right up till end of 2010!! Can you believe it? I can! Boy, can he talk insistently on bikes for hours on end. He is so passionate about his bike, new bikes in the international scene (info from mags he bought & googling), biking trips, upgrading his bike, etc....I'm dead sure I saw sparkle in his eyes when he spoke of what he has in mind moving forward. Haven't seen those sparkle since our courting days....ah, rocker57 is in love, again. Fret not, I'll always be his first love. The rest of it, I can live with it...ignorance is bliss, they say.

So, do you have a passion to share? Come share it with me.

Pot holes, bumps & signages

It never bothered me much on potholes, road bumps and signages, but since I started riding with rocker57, my senses has become more acute. I realised that even small holes the size of 3 by 3 inch wide and an inch deep, impacts the biker; more so the pillion rider. The roads I used to travel when I was driving doesn't provide the same pleasure when I ride. The journey has become more bumpy and rough, alas. 

I can now truly empathize with bikers who complains of bad road conditions and at other unfortunate times, the potholes even cause death. Having said that, I'm proud to say that Malaysian road conditions are still pretty well maintained except that the Malaysian Highway Authority (MHA) needs to be more vigilant to ensure roads are void of potholes as they are both risky and dangerous. Bikers too pay their road taxes, albeit in smaller sums, so MHA, hear ye hear ye!

Having traveled South (Seremban & Melaka), Central (Klang valley & Putrajaya), and part of East Coast ( Karak Highway, Janda Baik and Bukit Tinggi), I must praised the highway concessionaires for maintaining the motorbike lanes. The grass are trimmed and in some parts they even plant beautiful flowers along the stretch, thank you for having bikers in mind. However, the roads are kinda small as bigger bikes will find it a tad difficult to overtake another motorbike due to space constrain. Imagine having to tail a kapchai or small bikes over a 10-20 km stretch...phew...

Signage is another area of concern. Rocker57 and I were made to go round and round in Putrajaya. When I travel by car to Putrajaya for real estate purposes, I'm also made to drive certain kilometers before I find my destination but since I'm there often, I now managed to find the properties I need to sell/rent relatively easier. But I will not ride in the motorbike lanes as they lead me to somewhere but not where I aim to be...so, no way, Jose...I'll ask Rocker57 to use the mainstream, anytime every time should we ride to Putrajaya. The signboards are misleading and provided limited directions. Please do something about it, whoever you are.

Going to South or towards Klang and east coast highway was a breeze because signages gave good directions. The only odd thing I observed is that at the motorbike lane in Puchong toll to USJ / Shah Alam, there is a huge bump. That bump made me jumped / "fly off" 6 inches or more from my seat the first time we went through it...hello planners...do something about it, can you? i.e. before something untoward happens? Thank god I was heavy enough to drop back to earth gravity, if I not...perhaps, I would be writing to you from Venus or below ground.

Also, at the exit motorbike lane from Seremban to PLUS highway, there are two road bumps put in on purpose. Why in the world do you need to place two bumps there? Are you planning to collect toll charges too? Please, learn from your other counterparts, give the bikers a smooth ride okay...pluzzzz...Balancing a bike on two wheels is tough enough and yet you add hurdles to it, why??? It still puzzles me...