Ever since I posted a 'wanted' note on all local superbiking forums, I've been receiving heaps of phonecalls from Virago owners around Malaysia.

What amazes me the most is that all of them are selling their rides to upgrade to a bigger chopper/superbike. Bomb was right. No biker would keep their bike for life...

However, upon closer inspection, there were some suspicious chips and scratches. The owner truthfully admitted that the bike has had an unkind past but was also quick to add that it's been completely restored and is fully functional.

Fine, I took his word. Those minor things can be cosmetically corrected. What's most important is that the bike should be mechanically sound. When the bike was fired-up, there was a loud clanking sound from the engine block. Ruby immediately gave me a doubtful look.

(Digress) Ruby accompanies me all my test-rides and interestingly, she has picked up quite a bit about the Virago. I'm glad to be with a woman who doesn't look at these machines as a chunk of metal. Thanks baby!

I then took the bike for a test-ride. It didn't feel as stable as all the other Viragos that I've ridden. I suspect the chassis might've been affected by the bike's tormenting past. Gear shifts were smooth but the drive-shaft had a peculiar hissing sound.

I also felt it misfiring and the throttle response wasn't impressive. A clear indication that the carbs weren't performing to its best.

Yup, you guessed it right. We didn't stick around much as the decision was obvious. Let's see where the search takes us next...

Previous postings:
Passion Vs Priority I, Passion Vs Priority II & Passion Vs Priority III

It was a coincidence, believe me. Few years back on Valentine's Day, we committed ourselves to each other. Thus, the significance of V-Day is beyond the conventional to both of us.

The day started with... FLOWERS! :) My florist, Karin, did a fantastic job with the bouquet, again. The last was some months back during Project-H. She knows how big a dumbass I am when it comes to flowers. A day before, I just called and told her, "Karin, I need flowers for Valentine's. It must be delivered around 10am. Do your magic, please?". And I get a call the next day around 10-ish from Karin who confirms the delivery. A second later (predictably) Ruby-doobey calls in to express her excitement. Sweet!

We decided to do away with the customary dinner this year. Instead, we indulged in Baskin Robbins and caught a late night show - Babel. Bro and sis-in-law watched it recently and recommended it to us. It's a complex interlocking story involving four different families; all characters were interrelated. I'd say it was somewhat similar to Crash. So yeah, Babel's a must to watch, I tell ya!

Yup, so that was our V-Day; more like a lean/condensed version of it (minus the juicy details).

That's what I've been working on recently at the college. A few days ago, I conducted the first studio tutorial for my current batch of photography students who are pursuing their diploma in Creative Multimedia.