Double W-O-W!!! a double post in one day, you gotta know that something has to have happened. As in the case of why this blog even exists. It's all due to being out of work, back then and currently. So this week I made an appointment at 1pm regarding potential employment in Bellevue, the twin city of Seattle on the East shore of Lake Washington. The location is approximately a 20 minute ride without traffic southbound on the 405. I was busy volunteering my time this morning, which ended at about noon this extremely warm, sunny day in the Pacific Northwest. Figuring to save on fuel I would take the now operational GN400. A Suzuki single which was produced from 1980-1982. This particular 1981 model was given to me because it was a non-op bike.

Well lo and behold I have it running and thus have been giving her a run through the gears. Being that riding my local neighbourhood can rarely or legally let me take it to 5th gear, I figured that this was another reason to ride it over to my above mentioned Bellevue appointment. Leaving the house by the seat of my pants time wise, I made a bee line for the freeway. With nerves a little on edge for this maiden freeway voyage, the bike seemed to be running like a dream. The idle didn't start to race while sitting at the lights as seemed to happen often. it even stalled once. Now it sounded great even with the rusted pipe. It actually seemed as if she was anticipating getting out on the "open road". At the last signal that allows a left turn before the freeway, the light turned green, I rolled on the throttle. The "GN" purred. A split second later I rolled through some "liquid" and being that I'd removed the front fender (with the new front tire it no longer fit as before?)this stuff splashed inside my helmet. My sunglasses shielded my eyes but it was a bummer anyway. May have to reconsider going front fenderless? Jumping on the 405 South I cautiously, put firmly twisted the throttle listening for the slightest sound or minimal sensation that would tell me to reconsider this inaugural push to highway speeds. My concerns seemed unfounded as she picked up to 60mph as effortlessly as a single that has been around over thirty should. The trip went smoothly. Though I had left the house at 12:40 I arrived at my appointment right on the hour! Exhilarated, I threw the voice in my head aside the said "If you're not five minutes early... You're late." As I reached to turn off my little jewel, it was then that I saw that the key was no longer in the ignition. The single ran like a champ but she vibrated like a Harley that they've built vibrations in. Unlike the beasts that come out of the factory and are built to overcome the shakes, my hoopty couldn't hold it's own key in the ignition. Where as I had been imagining that I was riding an old Norton, Vincent or Triumph of the 60's and the endearing shakes were just part of the charm, losing that key was a blow to my euphoric high arriving on site. Beside that, the bike was still in the on position and was likely to drain the battery if I didn't kill the switch.

I was able to figure it out and my key is now a paperclip. Gotta love the old bikes and you gotta hate em! After leaving my appointment and getting ready to jump on the North on-ramp at SE 8th in Bellevue as I pulled on the front brake lever slightly in the curve upon entry, i felt a slight odd sensation in the lever. Glancing at the lever I recognized that it had completely come unhinged and was being held in place by my grip on the throttle. That said, I made it home on that piece of junk that someone dumped on me. But I'm not giving up. I'm frustrated, unemployed and their is absolutely no money in the coffers to start the repairs just yet. I will enjoy this motorcycle though come what may. In fact, even with all that has occurred I've had a blast tooling around on the ugly betty. Soon I'll have some additional progress pix as I work (no pun intended)to get the GN running like a dream and looking even nicer. Anyone want to donate to my "ride to work" fund? ;) This is stated in jest unless you're Bill Gates, Jay Leno, Steve Jobs or Mark Zuckerberg who had been cashing in on his Facebook fame prior to this last week. I figure if he wants to see some of his earnings disappear it ought to at least go to a great cause.