Moving Right Along

I haven’t written much lately, mainly because there just really hasn’t been much of anything about which to write. L and I got into a fight a couple weeks ago, but we put it behind us and have made up. Well, kind of; we’re back on good(ish) terms now, but things have definitely changed. As of now I’d have to say that we aren’t close like we used to be, and I don’t know if that will ever come back. And maybe it’s for the best.

When I say “aren’t as close” I’m not talking about the sexual aspect; that’s done and I’m okay with that. I mean just the closeness we had as siblings, and as friends. Things have been heading this way for a while now, I guess, but it’s been the past month or so that it’s become obvious that she no longer wants that kind of close friendship between us. That’s what the fight was about, and though she’s backed off of some things she said I’m not an idiot.

So now things are changed. Of course I still care about her, and want her to be happy and safe and all that, and I hope (but can’t assume) that she feels that way about me, but I really can’t see making her the priority in my (and our) lives that I did previously; not when we’re just barely secondary options (if that) in hers.

In other , lighter news I finally pulled the trigger on ordering a new seat for my motorcycle. The one on it now is the original seat, and has over 25,000 miles on it. Even brand new they aren’t exactly made for long-distance trips, but once they get over 12-13K, they are such a pain in the ass (literally.) I’ve been wanting to get a new seat for 2 years now, but finally the wife convinced me it’s time because not only is the seat uncomfortable, it’s now starting to tear at the seams. She says it’s for my comfort, but I think she’s thinking about those rides where she’s on the back. (I’d love to be able to afford a new, more powerful bike, but for now I have to make do with getting a better seat.)

Based on recommendations from fellow riders, and with cost considerations in mind, I bought a Mustang touring seat which should be quite a bit more comfortable. It’s already made my wallet lighter and thinner, to the tune of $369. I bought it on eBay (which I usually won’t do because of their involvement with PayPal) from a well-known seller with a high rating, so it was actually about $100 cheaper than I would have paid wholesale, and even a little cheaper than it would have been from some other online outlets. Free shipping too, so that’s a plus.

The wife and I rode some Saturday (that’s when she noticed the tears in the current seat) because it was nice weather for it, and from the ragged way it was running I can tell I’ve probably got another big expense coming up soon because of the bike. I have to get it inspected before the end of April, and I know I’ll need an oil change and tune-up. I had to replace one of the tires last year, and probably the other this year.

If any of you are bikers, I’d love to hear your thoughts on what are good, reliable tires for a cruiser like mine (Vulcan 900 Classic LT.) I’ve been getting Dunlop 404s front and back (different sizes, of course) but they just don’t hold up very well. I’ve been told I should be able to get up to 10K miles on the tires, but I’ve barely made 5K with the Dunlop. Now some of it may be my fault, because the service guy pointed out to me last year that I was over-inflating the tires (I kept them at max PSI, around 44, when I should have been keeping them around 32-35 PSI) which will cause them to wear faster. Still, for the money I’d like to have better results. So if you have some suggestions or better experience with other tires, let me know.