The Triumph 955i has artificially low miles–due to a speedo glitch. (It’s probably not more than about 150 miles in arrears, but it is annoying.) More and more often, the speedometer ceases to register a speed (or add miles to the odometer; they’re both digital). This always coincides with the ignition key being used–it either works when you start the bike, and keeps working, or it doesn’t work and stays dead. I recently rode to my friend Matt’s in north Seattle, and the sequence of speedo operation? House to ferry, alive; ferry to Matt’s, dead; Matt’s to ferry, alive, ferry to home, alive. Other rides it’s the opposite.

When the speedo is “dead” it will sometimes display a speed of one mile per hour for a few seconds. I’ve wiggled wires but haven’t gone beyond that so far in trying to solve the problem, showing my usual initiative.

I took the Triumph over the ferry to the bank today…it’s great to use a motorcycle on the Washington Ferries because you don’t have to wait to board, you go straight to the front of the line. In any case, when I came to leave the boat on the mainland side, I couldn’t get the bike started. How embarrassing. And all operator error, in the end!

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This is what I like most about bikes: You can buy a bike that will out-perform the mightiest of cars for a very small fraction of the cost.

Now whether it can actually out-perform those cars with an old lady like me riding it (and a fat old lady to boot), is another question. But just knowing you’re on a machine capable of such performance is exhilarating.