ou can think of. |
| 190/60/17 210/50/17 |
Moncton was only another 150km to the tire. The ride would probably take 1.5 to 2 hours to get to Motoplex. I was told just to show up but I wanted to get there early so we didn't have to get the work split by lunch.
We were to meet Bobby at 8:30 at Smythe Street Tim Horton's but by the time we left the house and filled up, we were late. We enjoyed a quick coffee, talked to a few locals and hit the road. I wanted to get there as quick as possible so we took the highway. We stopped at McCready's Irving for a quick break and ended up driving in to Motoplex at 11:15am.
I had decided on Metzler tires for the front and back. Unfortunately Metzler does not make a tire that is same size as the stock. I had searched the web and after a lot of searching without a confirmed solution, I did find a few riders putting 210/50/17 on the back of the Stratoliner without modification. There were a few bad reviews with the Metzlers on the Stratoliner but there was not many success stories. I did find a Metzler tire chart and recommendations for the 210/50/17 tires for the back. That was 2 sizes up and even as I was sipping on a coffee while they were installing the tires, I was still unsure they would fit and was expecting a phone call with bad news. I eventually got a call and the tires fit. As we were waiting for the installation we checked out another bike shop and I bought transitional glasses and a new half helmet.
We drove in to Motoplex and I saw my bike. I was impressed with the new look. I was a little shocked when I got the bill. I had expected the $205 for the rear tire and 145 for the front but was not expecting the $90 per tire install fee. Add tax and you watch $600 leave your account. I was also happy to stop driving Lois's bike with her on the back. It felt like a moped.
The proud owner of new tires, we had decided to take a scenic route back. We we going to take the back roads following the ocean coastline through Shediac, then to Bouctouche. We stopped at my parents place in Bouctouche for a break and carried on to Richibucto for a Tim Horton's coffee and A&W spicey burger.
With a full stomach and another dose of caffeine we started off towards the Salmon River road to get back to Fredericton. Its about 60km of woods and not much else but a scenic shortcut. You do have to watch for animals. The road was in good shape and it didn't take long before the coffee made its way through our systems. We pulled over at a old church and after a quick bathroom break, we made our way to Fredericton.
We filled up in Minto and instead of stopping in Minto for yet another coffee, we cept on driving till Fredericton for a coffee.We just started sipping out coffee and the thunderstorm they were calling for was starting to kick in. We could see lightning strikes on both sides of the river and it did not look good. I was about halfway through my coffee when we started to feel a few drops.
It was time to head home or get soaked. I quickly downed my coffee and it was a race home. We could see the skies darken even more and the lightning strikes were becoming more frequent.
As I drove up McLeod hill behind Lois, I could see the strikes at the top of the hill. I pulled out my camera to see if I could catch a shot but had no luck. By this time I was starting to feel the drops again. I rolled in to the yard and put the bike in the shed. Lois covered her bike and as we walked in the house the skies opened up and for the next 6 hours we suffers severe thunderstorm and rain. I managed to sleep through it all but parts of Fredericton woke up to no power.
I now have two new tires and am ready to ride. The tires have good grip and I am curious how long they will last. I am tracking it and will decide wether I will buy them again based on their life.
Random photos
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