So, I have to share this story. I am sure some of you will get a smile out of this.
So, I have been a lurker on this site since March of 2013. Could not afford a Pani of my own until March of 2015. It was my 48th Birthday present to myself.
Over the past 2 years, I have read complaints and reports of how bad the heat could be on the Pani.
I have one of those computer jobs that allow me to work from home 2 days a week, so I usually commute to work on the Pani Monday and Tuesday every week. This has been the case since I bought the bike in March. The only exceptions to that have been when I was away to Boston on business or when it rains.
Well, this practice changed this week.
I rode the Pani to work Monday morning like normal. Had an enjoyable back road romp around Jordan Lake in Chatham County, NC taking the long way in. It was about 8 am when I took this ride, so no problem.
Normally, I leave at 4pm to go home since the traffic gets crazy after 4:30. Well, this particular Monday, I got pulled into a conference call at 3:30 that lasted until 5pm (cloud design discussion/argument).
So, I hop on the Pani at 5:15pm for the ride home. The temp gauge is reading 101 F. Not the engine temp, the air temp. Eh, no prob, I have ridden in this kind of heat before on my previous Suzuki's and Honda's. The ride home was a tad uncomfortable with sweat building up on my glasses under my helmet and stinging the eyes a bit.
But the real problem is when I got within 2 miles of my neighborhood. I get caught in bumper to bumper because of a fender bender at a traffic light ahead. The engine temp is reading 212 and the air temp is 102. After about 10 min of stop and go, it feels like the inside of my thighs are about to spontaneously combust. Wholly .... it burns. Been stuck in traffic with the Pani before, but have never had that kind of heat experience before.
Lesson learned here? Well, 2: (1) I am so glad I wear boots and Kevlar slider pants when I ride. I could not imagine how much worse the heat would have been in just jeans or shorts and sneakers... (2) I don't plan on riding her to work when the forecast is for over 100 again. Wow that was painful.
Weekend rides are still on the agenda. But riding to work will be relegated to days when the temps will be 90 or below.
Anyways, hope I made some of you laugh today. I really love this bike. And compared to what I read about heat issues in the 2012 and early 2013 models, my 2014 really isn't that bad. But when it is over 100 out, it just isn't that much fun.
Cheers!
So, I have been a lurker on this site since March of 2013. Could not afford a Pani of my own until March of 2015. It was my 48th Birthday present to myself.
Over the past 2 years, I have read complaints and reports of how bad the heat could be on the Pani.
I have one of those computer jobs that allow me to work from home 2 days a week, so I usually commute to work on the Pani Monday and Tuesday every week. This has been the case since I bought the bike in March. The only exceptions to that have been when I was away to Boston on business or when it rains.
Well, this practice changed this week.
I rode the Pani to work Monday morning like normal. Had an enjoyable back road romp around Jordan Lake in Chatham County, NC taking the long way in. It was about 8 am when I took this ride, so no problem.
Normally, I leave at 4pm to go home since the traffic gets crazy after 4:30. Well, this particular Monday, I got pulled into a conference call at 3:30 that lasted until 5pm (cloud design discussion/argument).
So, I hop on the Pani at 5:15pm for the ride home. The temp gauge is reading 101 F. Not the engine temp, the air temp. Eh, no prob, I have ridden in this kind of heat before on my previous Suzuki's and Honda's. The ride home was a tad uncomfortable with sweat building up on my glasses under my helmet and stinging the eyes a bit.
But the real problem is when I got within 2 miles of my neighborhood. I get caught in bumper to bumper because of a fender bender at a traffic light ahead. The engine temp is reading 212 and the air temp is 102. After about 10 min of stop and go, it feels like the inside of my thighs are about to spontaneously combust. Wholly .... it burns. Been stuck in traffic with the Pani before, but have never had that kind of heat experience before.
Lesson learned here? Well, 2: (1) I am so glad I wear boots and Kevlar slider pants when I ride. I could not imagine how much worse the heat would have been in just jeans or shorts and sneakers... (2) I don't plan on riding her to work when the forecast is for over 100 again. Wow that was painful.
Weekend rides are still on the agenda. But riding to work will be relegated to days when the temps will be 90 or below.
Anyways, hope I made some of you laugh today. I really love this bike. And compared to what I read about heat issues in the 2012 and early 2013 models, my 2014 really isn't that bad. But when it is over 100 out, it just isn't that much fun.
Cheers!
