I went for a great ride today! Last week I had Jeff Crago of Crago Racing fame replace the Sudco stainless/carbon fiber exhaust with the stock system. The change added some weight to the bike, caused a loss of 8 HP but drivability was improved and vibration reduced. Oh, and the real reason, FULL STEALTH MODE! The weather was sunny but mild at 65 degrees so when I left the house the electric vest remained in the tank bag. Its my first ride with the stock exhaust in place and I immediately noticed the loss of power. The bike no longer bounces the front wheel at high RPM in first or second gear but with the strong silent approach and reduced vibration I was still smiling

I selected some twisty, tree covered back roads leading from Moorpark Ca to Ojai. Ojai is a fairly well known artsy community nestled in the mountains about 2 hours from Los Angeles. The ride from my place takes me through two mountain ranges, a valley in the middle, and provides lots of twists, turns, lovely scenery. The bike was running flawlessly with perfect throttle response, strong brakes, and great acceleration. I was smiling inside and was so comfortable I almost got my knee down on two occasions!

I putt through Ojai slowly and then I'm on the road for Ventura. Also a beautiful road with gentle rolling hills, plenty of green grass, and all the smells you expect from this type of scenery. In Ventura I rode along the coast Highway (Yes, that's the PCH) with the ocean in view for a few miles before the 101 headed inland. All in all a beautiful day, fun ride, and wow, I was left thinking "I can't believe its January, I never took my electric vest out of the tank bag!"