Truth be know, my friend, and soulmate, Lori, and I got married on June 14th, yup, two days ago, hence the 'honeymoon' bit in the title. I'm sure it wasn't too hard to figure out as we've been joined at the hip for the last six years and everyone figured it was bound to happen one day.
This upcoming adventure will be different as there will be two of us, both on our own machines, with two minds planning the itinerary, routing and activities. Prior to the trip we purchased two new 2014 Suzuki V-Strom 1000s. If you recall in my previous blog, Coast-To Coast: A Motorcycle Odyssey, I rode a 2009 V-Strom across the country all the way to Cape Breton via Knoxville, Tennessee and Cape Cod, Massachusetts. The 'strom was the machine for the task as they're reliable, comfortable, carry a sizable payload and deliver power and performance. This is my fourth V-Strom so I guess if they keep making them I'll keep buying them!
Prior to the purchase I didn't really harbour and any thoughts of a new bike this year. My 2009, 'Buddy Black" was still running strong but was starting to develop some new personality traits. Some quirks you can co-exist with while others take time and money, usually lots of both, to troubleshoot and rectify. The old guy had over fifty-thousand kilometres on the clock which is not a lot by today's standards but it is into the advance middle-age bracket. Contrary to this claim is my friend Allen Stowell's 2007 V-Strom which turned the dial at one-hundred-thousand kilometres while he was riding to Alaska so they can go the distance. Anyway I went to the motorcycle show in Abbotsford this February, the first one I've attended in several years and wouldn't you know it they had a selection of 2014 models on display. For this year Suzuki has reworked the engine, boring it out to 1037c.c from the previous 996c.c, completely redesigned the look and feel by shaving off seventy pounds from an already light performing motorcycle. The colour palette was broadened to now include a Desert Khaki as well as the standard black, red and white. After sitting on a few of the demo models I was hooked.
Now rewind back to the previous October and I'm wandering around Holeshot Motorsports, the local Suzuki dealer and I'm yakking with Derek, one of the sales guys. I had purchased my 09 'strom from them and continued to go there for service. I asked him when the 2014's were rolling in because I'd only ever seen a photo of them on the 'net and really wanted to get a hands-on look. Derek says they'll be in in the new year, around show time and he'll give me a call when they have stock. Fast forward to March of this year, a couple of weeks after the show and I get a call. It's Derek and he says he had a note-to-self to call me when the '14s arrive. The conversation was pretty short and sweet,. He says he has stock. I say what colour. He replies Desert Khaki, or whatever it's called and at this point he has me because that is the colour I wanted after seeing the one at the bike show. I ask him to give me a few moments and I'll call him back. Mulling it over and I remember the bright shiny red model at the show, the available lowered seat option and I call him back. I tell him to get the Khaki one ready but I also wanted a red one with the lowered seat option for Lori. The deal is I want them both delivered at the same time. No problem so it's a done deal. After having had a successful sales career, albeit in a different field, I still appreciate good sales tactics and Derek did his duty by remembering our conversation the previous fall, making a note of my number, then giving me a quick call he moves two new bikes in less than half an hour. I felt good like I was the guy who nailed the deal!
Two brand new V-Stroms ready to roll.
Back to the future, we have the bikes, all the breaking in is done, initial services out of the way and it's honeymoon holiday time. Now we have one last item on the To Do list and that is get fitted with custom seats. I'm finding the factory seats not as comfortable as with previous years and the lowered-seat option is still a tad tall for Lori's legs; she can handle the machine fine as she is an accomplished rider but lets go the extra mile and get a seat custom made for her and one for me too. What the heck. Now the one place to go for custom upholstery work here in the Pacific North-West is Rich's Custom Upholstery in Kingston Washington. Just a quick shot down the I-5 and a short ferry ride across Puget Sound and you're there. This shop is in big demand so a reservation is required. We booked in both bikes a couple of months ago to coincide with this trip. We arrived on the Monday (Rich's day off) and checked into the lovely suite they have at the shop for clients who can arrive the night before and be there when the shop opens at 8:00 AM. What a deal! The place is clean, modern, has a Jacuzzi tub and located in a park like setting with a Mexican restaurant in the little mall next door. How good is that?
We left Langley around 4:15, crossed the border at Aldergrove by 5:00 and were on our way down WA-529 to Bellingham and then hopped on the I-5 to the Linwood exit onto WA-524. We pull up to the ferry terminal at 6:49 and find the next ferry departs at 7:00. We're on without any hitches and the trip costs us fifteen dollars and change for two bikes. You hear that BC Ferries? $7.60 per bike. Unheard of in our neck of the woods. Twenty-five minutes later and we're rolling off the ferry and it's a quick scoot of 2.5 miles to the shop. Though I had self registration instructions and the combination for the key we didn't expect anyone to be there as they are closed Mondays. We find the shop door open and a couple of guys are there and Rich comes forward, introduces himself and says, we've been expecting you. Rich is a friendly, chatty guy who shows us around the suite gives us the scoop on the local eateries and says he'll see us in the morning.
After a yummy dinner at the Mexican restaurant next door it's back to the suite, blog a little and now I'm ready to turn in.
So Day-1 is run and done and it's been a pleasure from the moment we swung our legs over the saddles. Tomorrow it's new seats so stay tuned for the next chapter where we'll watch Rich and his guys work their magic.
Buenos noches mi amigos!
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