I've been so proud of myself for several small achievements and one of them is making it up a hill called "Todt Hill" (pronounced Toad Hill like the frog) from a stoplight. It's basically a hard right, almost u-turn but going up a steep hill from a flat area. At the hill's peak, it's the highest point on the Atlantic coast from Florida to Massachusetts (little tidbit of useless info lol). Making that turn with the bike was a big fear of mine in the beginning but I've always managed it without ever dropping the bike or stalling. Well yesterday I ended up stalling on a small incline of my driveway! HAHAHA Started getting nervous and was like "oh shit, oh shit, oh shit" as I started rolling back. I managed.. didn't drop the bike, but what a smack-down-of-confidence it was. LOL We need that every now and again I think. It's good for keeping us aware of our own limitations, and where we need to practice more. But how ironic that I can make it up that huge hill no problem, especially when I first started.. now here I am my third season and my driveway kicks my ass. LOL It's a new bike, and I'm still getting used to it, but still... knocked me down a few pegs. Needless to say, tomorrow I'll be practicing in the driveway, from a stop, for a bit. lol Glad it happened in my driveway and not on Todt Hill!

Y'all can come laugh at me on this one because I 100% know better. Can you guess what I did? For context - I'm 5ft 2.25 inches tall with a 29-inch inseam on a 2024 Honda CBR500, seat height is 31.1 inches. No biggie with that because I can tiptoe. Cue up the fact that I just had the bike lowered an inch-and-a-half and this is my first group ride with it lowered. Absolute newbie rider error right here lol 🙈

If anyone was ever planning to visit Vancouver Island on motorcycle, I'd recommend timing it to the Port Alberni Toy Run on September 19 and 20, 2026. https://portalbernitoyrun.ca/ This is one of the biggest and best toy runs I've ever been on. The average attendance is between 800 and 1600 motorcycles, depending on the weather. The actual ride starts at Little Qualicum falls, and then rides about 30-40 minutes to Port Alberni, where half the town comes out to welcome the bikes. Lawn chairs are 5-10 deep in good viewing spots, it's like a parade. https://youtu.be/qDNlBUMi5ZE?si=yLLPDR5Hva7Pg8gN The police close the highway going West until all the bikes are past. So it's probably the safest toy ride I've ever been on as well. https://youtu.be/ybRhT9lo_B8?si=n1hqab_G-OUl4b_j

Hi from 🇨🇦 brand new rider. Just bought a 2025 vstrom 650xt. Looking forward to learning with and from this crew!

Alrighty, y'all, I finally did it - I got my CBR lowered today and what a difference it makes! They dropped it an inch-and-a-half, added an adjustable side stand, and put on the frame sliders. The only thing they couldn't put on were the lever guards, but it was only because they didn't fit right. I was able to put me feet almost all the way down in traffic, and it is the most stable I have felt on it. Super happy!