First Impressions

Alright, so I got to scoot around on my RX3 for a little while today and my first impression is that this bike is going to be a freaking riot!!  It seems easier for me to swing my leg over and cruise down the road than my Sportbike for some reason. I'm sure the riding stance helps as you sit pretty upright on this bike and I am having no problem touching the ground while on the bike (not all of us were born to be 5'7" models).  Speaking of, I'm 5'4" and am very comfortable on this bike. It is easy for me to maneuver around, both on and off the bike. I am all smiles with my experience today!!

Tomorrow we will be cranking out some mileage, so if I have internet connection when we stop tomorrow I will post up more details on longer rides, but I think this is going to be a great bike!!  At first I didn't think it had enough "umph", but after I almost accidentally popped a wheelie I changed my mind. ;-)

Another thing I am loving about this bike is its stock sound. This bike sounds great!! It's got a deep, throaty tone to it and is not too quiet for my taste. 

The stock luggage is very good, although I am used to a larger top case so I may look into the aftermarket luggage that CSC is offering. 

Sorry for the short update, but our 4:30am departure time tomorrow morning will come quickly and I've been up for a long time now. I am SO excited to get more time on this bike tomorrow!! 

TOMORROW!!

I can't believe that I will be on a plane to LA tomorrow to start this amazing adventure!!  I checked in for my flight already this morning, will be printing out all of my confirmations for car rental and hotels tonight and will have those available if needed, and then I will wake up WAY early tomorrow morning to catch my 7:30am flight.  Poor Blake will also have to wake up super early so he can drive the car back from the airport, but I think it's fair given the amount of times I've had to wake up very early or stayed up super late to wait for him on some of his adventures.  :-)

I finished all of my packing yesterday.  Everything I need for my 2 week adventure is packed into 2 duffel bags.  Not too bad if I do say so myself!

I pack like a girl ;-)

I got an email from Joe letting me know that they've assembled my bike and that he put 35 miles on it to make sure everything was tightened down and running good.  Man, I am so excited to finally meet him and to thank him and the rest of the folks at CSC for how wonderful they've been during this entire process!  This is the beginning of a beautiful relationship with some amazing folks!

I'm finalizing my playlists right now and then it will be early to bed.  My Baja playlist is nothing short of amazing.  Listening to it at work today gave me the biggest grin.  I found a bunch of local Baja musicians and compiled about 3 hours worth of their music.  I think it will complement and will definitely give me some great memories!  I'm also finishing up my Chick Power playlist.  I have In This Moment, Halestorm, and Lindsey Stirling on that list and it's over 5 hours long.  That will be my music to accompany my cross country trip.

This is going to be amazing folks!  I am SO excited and cannot WAIT to start giving you updates from the road!  

~tiff

Cash craziness and more girl talk

So today was a bit trying for me. I went to a Bank of America atm to withdraw some cash in preparation for my trip, as Joe has suggested that we plan to pay for everything in Mexico with cash. So I went to withdraw some cash and the atm said that the transaction failed. When I tried again at the same atm, it didn't give me the option to withdraw, so I figured there was something wrong with that atm. I drove down the road to the next BOA atm that I could find as the banks were going to be closing soon, since it is a Saturday, but when I tried to withdraw some cash it told me that the transaction failed and they locked my debit card!!  The printout said that I had to call some 800 number to have them unlock my card!!

Well, I was now faced with a dilemma. I was wearing capris and was on my way to get my legs waxed so I wouldn't have to worry about shaving for the majority of the trip... So there I am standing at the 2nd atm, still with no cash, the banks are about to close, my debit card is locked, and I have hairy legs.   I start to panic as I don't want to stand in line at the bank because there were already about 6 people in line and I'm feeling a bit fuzzy, but I also needed to get cash and was worried that I wouldn't get this resolved before my 7:30am flight Tuesday morning. I decided to suck it up and just stand in line to talk to a teller... Fuzzy legs and all.

While waiting, this cute little lady shuffles up gripping onto a shopping cart. You could tell she was using it for balance and when she was done filling out her deposit slip, the guy at the front of the line tells her to have his spot so she can be next and he walks to the back of the line.  I was so proud to have witnessed that, but then the other patrons told him to come back up to the front of the line and to get behind the lady that he just let in. My heart melted. It was such an unconditional act of kindness. Then I remembered that I had hairy legs and realized I'd have to wait a bit longer to get the heck out of there, but after witnessing what I had just seen, it made it a little easier. :-)

So after waiting for a bit, I finally get up to the teller. I explain to her my predicament and she goes to ask her supervisor what she can do. When she gets up, I see that she is very pregnant. She returns and tells me that she can give me some cash, but that I will still need to call BOA to get my card unlocked. I ask her when she's due, and she tells me July. I said, "well luckily that's not too far away" and she quipped back with "oh it is nowhere near soon enough!"  I just had to laugh because every single one of my pregnant girlfriends has said that exact same statement to me at some time during their pregnancy. Lol

As I'm filling out all of the required documentation so that she can give me some cash, she starts some conversation and asks why I'm withdrawing an unusual amount, given my past withdrawal history. I tell her about the RX3 and my upcoming trip and she just replies with "that is so amazing!"  So she asks me a few more questions and I give her more details while she's counting out my cash. When she's done counting, she hands me my cash and wishes me luck and safety on my trip. 

I quickly run out of the bank to the safety of my car (where no one can look at my hairy legs. Lol) and I just have to smile at how supportive she was. It's so wonderful to talk to other ladies and hear that they are more supportive than they are "concerned about being a female alone."  The overwhelming response that I hear is "that is amazing and I wish that I could do something like that."  And every time I reply with "well, why don't you?"  Immediately I can see brains churning to try to come up with a good response, but I normally just get big smiles, to which I just wink and smile back. 

So I finally made it to the salon to get my legs waxed, and holy moly did I forget what an experience that was!  Thanks, but I think I'll just go au naturale on my next trip because that sucked.  The technician was super nice, but It felt like she was ripping my shins off. Yeah... No thanks. Then I had leftover wax all over, so I stuck to the paper on the table and ended up walking out with some paper stuck to my big toe as well as having red, inflamed legs. It was a nice thought, but I'm gonna pass on this trip prep next time. Lol

Anyway, I made it home with my cash and sore legs, but overall it was an ok day. This has got me wondering, though. Those chicks that ride around the world on their bikes solo... Do they worry about shaving?  I know, that's only something a girl would think of, but it's a legitimate question. But seriously, how much should we care about that?  As far as I'm concerned (at least now), I really could care less, but at least I can say I tried. :-)

I'm Legal and Baja Agenda!

Sorry for the delay in updates, I actually started this blog yesterday, but things are moving very fast now that we are less than a week out for this first adventure!

Wednesday was a big day!  I got the tag for my RX3, got my US insurance squared away, and also got insured for the time I'm in Mexico!  I was a bit concerned about getting the tag since I had so many problems with my US insurance, but Sara from CSC sent a packet of information and it was everything that the Georgia Tax Commissioner needed to tag the bike.  Yay!

I've been slacking on the packing, need the clothes that I am lacking, get the links for stalker tracking, too much work- my brain is wracking, gonna go do some kayaking, see some ducks and I'll be quacking, better leave or I'll be yakking, eat some hot wings- crack-a-lacking... now I'm finally finished rapping.  #hashbrownthuglife  (that was written with the help of a coworker late in the day after a LONG day of work... you're welcome.  And Ian, thanks for the #hashbrownhashtag)  :-)

I'm almost completely staged downstairs in the basement and I have to say that I'm very impressed with myself!  I've definitely limited the amount of "stuff" that I'm bringing with me on the trip, but will 100% need to have access to some laundry facilities once I get back in the US after Baja as I've cut WAY BACK on the amount of clothes that I'm taking in an effort to pack as lightly as possible while in Baja.  I'm going to look super awesome in the airport, though, wearing my high viz jacket, carrying my high viz helmet, and wearing riding boots.  LOL  That seems to be the easiest way to limit the bulk that I need to pack to take on the plane.  I will try to post some pics of the staging and will document what I'm packing for the 9-12 day trip (I still haven't decided what to do about the trip back across the country).

Oh, and I just booked my car rental for my arrival in California.  One way rentals cost A FORTUNE!!  Pick up in LA, drop off in Asuza... 5 hour rental equals $100 charge.  UGH  Oh well... relatively small price to pay for the start of an AWESOME adventure.  Plus, I booked with Enterprise so I don't have to worry about ubering back to the hotel or anything.

Joe posted up a blog yesterday with the routes for our Baja trip, so I will attach those pics below.  I CANNOT WAIT FOR THIS ADVENTURE TO START!!!  :-)

Springs and Songs

I just got off the phone with Ryan at CSC to ask about my center stand and the spring issue that they blogged about yesterday (http://californiascooterco.com/blog/?p=16201).  Basically, the springs that came with the center stands keep breaking, thus causing the center stands to drag while someone is operating the motorcycle.  I already ordered my center stand and asked to have it installed on my bike prior to the Baja trip, so I called CSC to see what the plan was with that.  Would they uninstall the center stand if it was already installed?  Would I need to ship it back to Georgia or carry it on the bike?  Well, after speaking with Ryan he said they are getting new springs today, so there should be no problem with the center stand on our trip.  Yay for that!  Just in case, though, I will be bringing a few extra bungee cords.  :-)  I also ordered my seatpad for the bike. I have one on the YZF and I LOVE it, so I made sure I got one for the RX3 as well.

The other exciting update is that I'm building my playlists!  I like to ride with just my earplugs in when I need to clear my head and be in the moment, but when I'm cruising on the never ending straight interstates across the midwest, I will definitely want to have some music in my helmet.  I listened to the Long Way Down and Into the Wild soundtracks while I was riding through Alaska and now every time I hear those songs I remember back to that most amazing trip.  So I've decided that this big trip should be no different, but I want to ensure the music I choose suits the trip.

I think I'm going to do 2 playlists to start.  I've done a bunch of research on local Baja artists and have decided to build a playlist solely dedicated to the local Baja musicians.  I think that'll enhance the Baja portion of the trip just that much more.  I've also decided to do a power chick playlist for the ride back to Georgia.  On that playlist will be some of my favorite chick empowering artists, like: Halestorm, In This Moment, and Lindsey Stirling.  I'm still working on this one as it will need to be quite a long playlist, so any thoughts/suggestions you might have are welcomed!

Oh and the bike is finally insured thanks to the persistence and patience of Jamie at Hansard Insurance and I will be getting the tag tomorrow so I won't be riding dirty through Mexico and across the country. Lol. Staging prior to packing is still in progress (I'm such a procrastinator) and Blake is still working on pulling together the tools that I will need for oil changes and chain adjustments while I'm on the road. 

I can't believe I fly out to California a week from tomorrow!

It's a chick thing!

I got an email from Joe yesterday confirming that I am one of the lucky 15 to get to go on the inaugural Baja trip!!  Reading through his list of participants, it looks like I may be the only female. While I'm a little bummed that there won't be another chick or two to become friends with, I have to say that I feel so proud to represent the ladies on this ride!  I have no doubt in my mind that this bike is going to be a game changer to bring more ladies into riding their own and I truly hope that my trip and information can help encourage those that are teetering on that line of riding their own or staying pillion. 

With that being said, I took my private yoga class yesterday and my instructor taught me some great stretches and strength exercises that I can practice while I'm on the trip!  Who knows, maybe I can even get some of the dudes to join me in some sunrise yoga on the sand?!  :-) stretching is going to be a good thing on the way down as we will be doing more miles per day on the first two days than on the way back North. All I know is that I am SO excited!!

Blake gave me his packing list that he used for his 9 day trip to baja on his GSXR, so I am going to modify that to use for my entire trip. I'm also thinking that since I will be attending my business conference calls on the trip home that I may go ahead and make it a coast to coast ride and will see if Blake and the Heidi dog want to come meet me out on the East coast to celebrate my birthday and maybe camp for a night or two. It's looking more and more like camping is out for me on my trip home since I will need almost daily access to Internet for work, but I'm ok with that for this trip. There will be many other motorcycle camping trips to come with the RX3! 

Oh, and something super cool happened at work today. I was walking by a coworker's desk and noticed he had a desktop photo of a sport bike with the number 69 on it. Anyone that's into motogp will tell you that's the infamous Nicky Hayden, so I asked if that was indeed who it was and scared the crap out of my poor coworker as he had his headphones in. He looked a bit puzzled at me as I repeated myself and then he asked me if I liked motogp. I told him "more like obsessed" and that's when I made a new friend at work that I can talk motorcycle racing with!  I think the Argentina race is this weekend so it looks like we will have some good stuff to talk about next week!  That'll be a nice break from the crazy work days I've been having lately and it sounds like he is feeling the same way!

So on the agenda for this weekend is: figure out the packing list and start gathering all of the items on said packing list, do laundry for anything that's not clean (like the insect repelling shirt I just A found between the couch cushions tonight- I have no idea how it got there), and figure out the insurance situation. OH- I forgot to mention that. I'm having a HELL of a time finding a company to insure the RX3 for more than liability only. Only 1 company has even offered to insure, but it's for liability only. My current company, that insures both of my yamahas, refuses to insure it as its "not manufactured in the US."  Don't get me started on this one... I spoke my peace already and won't waste anymore breath on it. 

And I just got off the phone with my brother, who travelled to multiple continents for a few years, to get some advice from him. My brother is so amazing, I can't help but feel better just talking to him. He's so level headed and worldly now. His advice is well thought out and he speaks from experience.  He's my little brother (by 15 months), but I really look up to him and admire him so much!  He definitely has inspired me through his travels and he is helping to inspire my on my own travels as well. Plus, he rides motorcycles too, so I can't wait to get him on the RX3 so we can take a ride together!  

Yep, feeling awesome about this trip again. Have shaken off the funk I was in and now I just want to get this adventure started!! :-)

Baja day 1, butterflies, and yoga

Joe just posted up a new blog with the specifics for day 1 in Baja here http://californiascooterco.com/blog/?p=16107 (I'm testing out the iPad app and can't seem to get the links to work. Sorry!!)

I am so thrilled with what he and CSC are planning for us. They are organizing and creating itineraries, but are still being open to detours if requested. This is going to be awesome!!!

I will go ahead and admit it now, though... I got some butterflies tonight wondering if this is the right thing. I've never had a big solo motorcycle adventure, and most have not been without my husband, so I am definitely a bit nervous.  I know my skills on a bike are fine and I can handle myself, but I guess the "what if" has finally caught up to me. I've done really good at not thinking about it nor focusing on it until now, but I guess the best thing for me to do now is just talk it through and brainstorm some good solutions and backup plans... Just so I won't be worried about the "what ifs" anymore.

It's funny, I like to consider myself a pretty brave chick who is confident and tries to inspire other ladies to be confident and proud of themselves, but sometimes I realize that I still have my skeletons. I mean, up until I started riding motorcycles about 10 years ago, I was very naive and always played it safe. I never pushed the limits and followed all of the rules. I also tended to be in abusive relationships and took a lot of crap from people, just because I wanted them to like me. It wasn't until motorcycles came into my life that I realized things needed to change and I was one of them. This chick, that rides motorcycles and has had some awesome adventures pushing her limits, is still growing and learning. This is one of those times where I know I'm doing something right, but my previous self is creeping through and challenging the courageous and spontaneous me.  It's tough to battle yourself.  It's confusing and makes you feel crazy! Lol  I know this experience and adventure will win in the end, but this time of self doubt sure sucks.

I'm sure that once I can really start focusing on my packing list and ensuring I can pack everything needed for my flight, that I will feel much better and will gain some confidence back. Plus, once I get on the bike I will be fine, as everything is always better when you're on a motorcycle! :-). I'm thinking back to my alaska trip when I rented the bmw gs650 and how intimidated I was by that bike, but I just reminded myself that the RX3 should be smaller and easier for me to handle than the 650, even though I handled the 650 just fine.  See, I'm feeling better already. Just need to keep putting things in perspective and need to buck up!

Oh, and I just remembered that I have a private yoga session with my amazing instructor tomorrow and she is going to teach me some poses and flows that I can practice while I'm on my trip!  That will definitely make me feel better if I can just center and get to a place of peace, even if it's a hectic or stressful situation or I've just had a long day. I am so glad that I've picked up practicing yoga and it's perfect timing for my adventure!  I will see if I can get some pics of my yoga practice while on the trip. It should be interesting!

In closing, I know this is going to be an amazing adventure and I shouldnt waste any of my time on fears and doubts. Instead I just need to face them, figure out solutions and/or backup plans, and then continue on to this crazy awesome trip!  And thank you again to all of you that have supported me through these planning stages.  It really is incredible how even a few words of encouragement can help brighten spirits and ease a worried mind!  Love to you all!

Business business business, numbers numbers

So I informed my boss of my travel plans today and his response was "so you're not taking anymore vacation for the rest of the year, right?"  Yeah... That went over well.  Actually, it went over better than I expected and I spoke with my boss throughout the day and we decided that I would be "offline" for the baja portion of the trip, but for the trek back across the U.S., I would be mindful of the standing weekly meetings that I have and I will either stop to take the calls or I will have short days and will take my calls from a hotel room for the evening. This will allow me to take the full week off the first week of May, but will still allow me to cover the calls I need to attend while having a less aggressive trip back home. I'm pretty happy with this and told my boss that we could monitor the meetings throughout the next two weeks to ensure I'm only on the calls where there would be no other coverage from our organization. Not too bad if I say so myself!

With that being said, it's looking like camping may be out of my plans. I will test pack this weekend to ensure I can pack everything I need into my duffle and carry on since I will be carrying my helmet on the plane as well. Depending on how the test packing goes, I may skip the camping to eliminate the extra "stuff" on the bike for this big trip. Plus, since I will be working along the way, I will probably do more hotels than originally expected to ensure I can get internet connectivity for work and will also take advantage of some laundry facilities. I'm kinda bummed at the thought of not camping, but looking at the weather across the South and Midwest right now, hotels look like a very nice and dry option. 

Also, since Friday the 8th is my birthday, I tossed out the idea to the husband of me heading out to the coast to make this a coast to coast ride, and mentioned that maybe he and the dog could meet me out there for a birthday trip, and he seemed to like the idea.  If that happens then we may even be able to find a campground and he could bring the camping gear with him, so I could still get some camping in on the trip. Could be an option!

Joe said he was going to book some hotels rooms for our group for the baja trip tonight, so that's pretty awesome!!   I was hoping to share my rooms in baja with another rider to cut back on some of the costs, but I'm not sure if there's another chick going and cohabitation is usually frowned upon in this situation, so I may get the luxury of my own hotel rooms on the trip, but we will see.  I've budgeted to get my own rooms, so it'll be fine either way!  

Alright, I'm off the computer for the evening. Tomorrow I will secure the insurance for my bike and will change my hotel reservation for the night before we leave for baja. Joe also said he'd post more info on the Mexican insurance that we will need so if he posts that I will arrange that as well.

Going with the the flow for this trip. Yay for adventures!! :-)

Dates and Details!!

The dates for the Baja trip have been set and they are Wednesday, April 29 through Sunday, May 3.  I've been stressing out a bit trying to figure out exactly how many days off of work I will need with the Baja trip being during a work week, but it is what it is.  I told my boss that I may need up to 2 weeks and that's what it's looking like.  I will need to get to CSC on Tuesday with enough time to ensure everything is settled with the RX3 and to pack it prior to our 4:30am departure time on Wednesday morning, so that means I either have to fly out late Monday night or early Tuesday morning.  I've decided to fly out early Tuesday morning so that I don't have to pay for an extra night at a hotel, so my one way flight is booked to LAX!  I've also booked a hotel close to CSC in Azusa, CA for Tuesday night to try and sleep before our big trip!

I've emailed Joe to confirm that I'm 100% for the trip, so I should be good to go there.  Now I need to ensure that I get my insurance squared away on the RX3, plus I need to buy the Mexican insurance for while we are on our trip- just in case.  Other than this, I should be good to go LEGALLY with the bike. :-)

We will be doing our own maintenance on the trip and will also be on our break-in during the Baja trip, so I am trying to sort out how many oil changes I will need to do so I can ensure I get the right number of oil filters.  I also need to cover the chain maintenance that I will be doing daily.  I can buy this stuff from CSC, so that way I won't have to fly with this packed in my luggage.  I WILL have to pack my tent and camping supplies, so space is going to be at a premium for packing.  I'm thinking I'm going to have to get creative for this trip.  :-) 

The other big "issue" that I'm trying to sort out is my dietary restrictions for while I'm traveling.  I've been battling some health issues over the past 10 years, but they really came to a head over the past year, so my doctor prescribed me to follow a Low Fodmap diet and it has been amazing.  I have been feeling 100% better and I can tell that my body is definitely responding to this new eating plan.  The only thing about this diet is that it is SUPER restrictive, so snacks and meals are going to be tricky, but I'm sure I can figure out how to make this work! 

My mind is a bit all over the place right now as I'm scrambling to get tentative plans laid out and figure out how much time I need to tell my boss that I'm going to need off on Monday.  It's looking like 9 days off work, which I was really hoping that I wouldn't need that much, but to be as safe as possible and to leave room for any situations that may arise, I'm thinking 9 work days is going to be the safest bet.  I'm still battling with this one as 2 weeks off is A LOT for me to swallow, but at the same time... this is a trip that will probably only be available for me to do this one time, so I feel like I HAVE to take advantage of this opportunity and hope that my boss forgives me.  I guess you know when you truly love your job because the thought of taking 2 weeks off of work makes you feel like you're going to vomit.  I will battle this one for the next 24 hours.

Alright, I've got to try to work on the YZF a bit tonight as she's still the 3 cylinder wonder and I'm without a running motorcycle in this gorgeous weather and it's driving me crazy... so hopefully I can take her out for a spin tomorrow.  I will keep you posted as I get more info on this crazy adventure! :-)

They're here!!!

I'm like a kid on Christmas Eve today because Joe posted up a picture of Steve on the CSC blog with a whole bunch of crates behind him, which contained OUR RX3s!!!!  I thought for sure that it would be weeks if not months before our bikes made it to CSC due to the delays that the dockworker strike had caused, but that's not the case and I am THRILLED!

There's still no word as to what dates the trip is scheduled for, but this gives me a glimmer of hope that I won't be riding back across the U.S. in the middle of the summer heat wearing full gear, because yes I always ride in full gear. ATGATT (All the gear, all the time). I've had too many friends share their horror stories and scars with me so I will never ride without my gear. 

But anyway, I am over the moon excited about the announcement today. CSC said that it will be a few days before they get the rest of the bikes delivered that were in the initial shipment, but I am perfectly ok with that. I'm assuming that once they get all of the bikes, then they will need to coordinate shipping them out to their respective new owners, receiving final payments (not from this chick as I'm all paid), and all while trying to plan a group trip to Baja.  That's quite a bit going on there, so I will continue to be as patient as a kid on Christmas Eve and will do my best to go with the flow. Lol

I'm so fortunate to have a boss that is trying to be as patient as possible with me throughout this adventure, even though I've told him that it may come down to the point where I won't be able to give him much notice of my time off. He is still being supportive, though, and for that I am so very thankful.  I know it's not ideal for an employee to tell a manager that they are doing a trip that could require a week to two weeks off and may happen in mid-April or may get pushed back.  So again, I have to say how grateful I am that he's understanding, or at least pretending to be understanding, while I have this little adventure. 

I will post more info as I get it, as like I said last time, I think things may start moving pretty quickly from here on out, but I will do my best to communicate the goings on and keep everyone updated!  Thanks for your patience and for hanging with me during this pre-trip phase!  Y'all are the best!!  <3

Boats and Baja!

The first and most important part of this blog is that the XIN FEI ZHOU has docked and is unloading all of it's precious cargo... including the containers that our bikes are stored in!!  It took a bit longer than expected for the ship to dock as things are still backed up from the dockworker strike, but it's there now.  Unfortunately we're hearing that clearing customs is the real bugger right now as it's quite a bit backlogged.  I'm really hoping that we can do this ride in April, but I'm guessing it'll probably be more May/June timeframe.  Early May would be great because that's my birthday and I'm selfish and will call this an adventure in honor of my birthday.  :-p

Joe just made a new post on the CSC blog discussing our Baja ride, as it's a definite, the timing is just unknown.  I'm sad to hear we will miss the whales, but excited to hear they have some plans to go over to the Eastern side of the peninsula, along the Sea of Cortez, to check out a church that was designed by the same Eiffel that designed the Eiffel tower!  Pretty cool if you ask me!

All I know is that I am super pumped about this entire experience!  I priced out some one way flights to Southern California and it's looking like I can get them for around $150 all day long.  Now I just need to figure out how I'm going to get all of my stuff out there with me (to check baggage or just ship a box of stuff) and then I'll be all set!  Well, set is relative, but I will feel like I've got it pretty together considering so much of this is completely out of my hands.  That's what makes a good adventure though, right?  Being smart, but being spontaneous and going with the flow?

Oh, also very important is that CSC posted up some more accessories for the RX3 on their blog here:  http://californiascooterco.com/blog/?p=15907  I've updated my accessories page with a link to their post and a few of their pictures, as they are offering so much that I just can't keep up with my own list without it being out of date.  So I'd rather just point people to the correct info.  :-)

One last bit of info, my YZF figured it would help me prepare for my trip by deciding to only run on 3 cylinders during my ride on Sunday, so I will be getting some practice in taking apart the bike to work on it.  It's overdue for an oil change anyway (shame on me), so I will do an oil change along with checking the spark plugs and should probably clean the carbs and ensure the jets aren't clogged.  So I'm parking the car in the driveway while I let the YZF take the entire garage during it's Spring Cleaning.  lol  I will have to tell the story of the YZF in another blog so you can understand how "unique" this bike is.  Spring Cleaning is a big deal!