Size matters

Took my wife's Suzuki GZ 250 down to Roanoke for service Monday. Thick fog blanketed the area at 7:45 a.m., delaying my departure until shortly after 8. Even with the sun in the sky, fog remained a problem until I hit the bottom of Bent Mountain on 221.

Amy's bike is sized right for her (5-foot-2, 105 pounds) which means I look like a Shriner on a miniture bike in a parade when I ride it. The 250-cc single cylinder engine has problems pulling a hill in fifth when I'm aboard so I spend a lot of time downshifting an upshifting on the hills and valleys of 221 between Floyd and Bent Mountain.

Still, it's a fun bike that's easy to dial into a turn and lean as far as you need to make the tightest of curves. Turning off Virginia 419 into the clovereleaf turn for U.S. 220 North I was able to maintain 55 through the sweeping curve and quickly zoom up to 65 on I-581 to Peters Creek Road.

On the return trip, I had to drop it into third for the climb up Bent Mountain but still managed to maintain a steady 45 through the turns. My Sportster 1200 Low will pull Bent Mountain easily in fourth and I handles the dips and hills of Floyd County in fifth without any problems. My left ankle hurt from the constant shifting of the Suzuki by the time I pulled into the garage of home late Monday afternoon but it was still an enjoyable ride.