#hondadominator250

[chasingcrystal]

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Not a cloud in the sky! ☀️

Spoiled by the amazing weather lately. Living on the road makes you appreciate so much. A sunny day so you don’t need to be soaked in the rain, long days so you can ride a little further to see a little more, clean drinking tap water so you can just fill up at a gas station.

Just grateful.

What’s something simple that you are grateful for?

[chasingcrystal]

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Happy Monday! 😺

Somewhere in Coolnaharragill taking advantage of these sunny days. I’ll this weather over the Irish winter any day!

How was your weekend? Did you make the most of it?

[chasingcrystal]

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Out in no man’s land

Isolated, alone, not another human as far as the eye can see. There’s a sense of peace when you pull over and remove your helmet. All you hear is the wind, birds and the sound of your own breathing. All you see is nature around.

I’ve grown to crave these moments of pure isolation. There’s a mysterious energy when the mind finally becomes quiet and all you do is observe the space around you, just existing in its presence.

[chasingcrystal]

She’ll be coming down the mountain when she comes! 🎶 I took this old tune to the next level. Freyja and I took our sweet time coming down that snow covered pass and safely arrived in Derry, Northern Ireland. That was rough. I know tough times build tough people, but sometimes I’m like…how much MOAR am I supposed to experience?! And the Universe said, “Moar.” Lol 😹 It’s a real Irish winter in Derry. I’m huddling here for a few days and will go out and explore when the snow takes a break. Playing/ vacationing in the snow is one thing, riding in it is a whole different experience. Let’s tackle this week, y’all! #chasingcrystal #derrycity #londonderry #causewaycoastalroute #solofemaletravel #bikerchicksofinsta #bikerchicksofinstagram #bikerchicksuk #hondadominator #nx250 #hondadominator250 (at Derry/Londonderry) https://www.instagram.com/p/CpvPZjlLrXC/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[chasingcrystal]

Thank you Northern Ireland for gifting me this wonderful experience of scraping ice off my bike 🫠 I’m from California, we don’t do this! I couldn’t even stick the key in the ignition because it was frozen solid. I’ve never dealt with this problem before so I was about to pour boiling water on the ignition. Good thing my Couchsurfing host was like…uhh, maybe pour it on your key and then try to melt things that way. Oh, is that how y’all deal with this problem out here? Aight, I’ll listen to the experts Do you have any tips or tricks to prevent frost from taking over your bike? #chasingcrystal #northernireland #northernirelandtourism #hondadominator #hondadominator250 #nx250 #asianwomen #asianamericans #asianamericanwomen #solofemaletraveler #mototour #motortouring #mototourism #womenwhoride #womenwhoridemotorcycles #dualsports #winterride (at Northern Ireland) https://www.instagram.com/p/CpLXZaXvvXF/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[chasingcrystal]

Happy Wednesday from your meowing bobble head moto astronaut! 😺👩‍🚀🏍 We out here, taking in the last bit of the Scotland wild. I wish I had more time here, but I literally can’t take this cold anymore. It’s deteriorating my body. So we’re moving to our next country. Any guesses what Freyja and my next country will be? 😺 #chasingcrystal #scotlandhighlands #scotlandtrip #mototour #mototouring #nx250 #hondadominator #hondadominator250 #solofemaletraveler #lifeontheroad (at Highlands, Scotland) https://www.instagram.com/p/CoabhppvkhE/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[chasingcrystal]

West Coast is the best Coast. …In Scotland and in the United States, in my opinion 😺 The East side of Scotland is beautiful too, but something about the fjords and the undulating coastline the Atlantic creates on the West side of Scotland keeps the West side wild, jaggedly vary in elevation and just uninhabitable. It’s wild and untouched. My favorite 😈 Even though my body is miserable AF out here, I’m really thankful I kept pushing myself to tour most of Scotland or else I would not be able to see my favorite part. Persevere. What is on the other side may be beyond your wildest dreams. #chasingcrystal #scotlandhighlands #scottishhighland #westscotland #westernhighlands #solofemaletraveler #hondadominator #hondadominator250 #nx250 #mototour #mototouring #winterride #winterrides #winterrider (at Scotland) https://www.instagram.com/p/CoVH4wVP7I2/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[chasingcrystal]

Everyone says I visited Scotland the wrong time of year… Here’s what I say: I’m willing to pay the price of riding in the winter for… 1. No crowds 2. Villages, towns and cities with minimal tourists 3. Locals that are welcoming and not stressed out by the influx of people 4. Quiet, serene landscapes where I’m usually the only one here 5. Uncongested roads with no traffic 6. Empty hostels where I’m usually the only person in a 12+ bunk room Now, you all know about the climate and the stress this is causing on my body, but this is worth it to me. What do you think? Would you rather visit a place like the Fairy Pools in the Isle of Skye empty like these photos or with thousands of people waiting trying to take the same photos? #chasingcrystal #fairypools #fairypoolsisleofskye #isleofskyescotland #isleofskyeofficial #solofemaletraveler #mototour #mototouring #hondadominator #hondadominator250 #asianamericanwomen (at Fairy Pools - Skye, Scotland) https://www.instagram.com/p/Cn7bbdmvuNL/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[chasingcrystal]

Hello from Loch Ness in Scotland! 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 Have you ever heard of the myth of Nessie? It is a legend that says there is a monster with a long neck and humps on its body living in Loch Ness. Loch = lake. Ever since hearing about this story as a kid, I thought the logical solution would be to drain the lake to see if there was any monster left after the water was gone. In my mind, lakes were very small bodies of water. Upon actually visiting Loch Ness, this lake is absolutely massive in size and not drainable. My imagination 😹 It was amazing being able to visit Loch Ness in person, but Nessie must have been taking a nap because there was no monster in sight 🦕 Happy Friday y’all! Have a great monster hunting weekend 😺 #chasingcrystal #lochness #lochnessmonster #lochnesslake #hondadominator #hondadominator250 #nx250 #solofemaletraveler (at Loch Ness, Scotland) https://www.instagram.com/p/CnptHZfS-bi/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[chasingcrystal]

Well, Freyja and I took Nathan camping in the Scotland winter. Nathan’s probably like, “What are you thinking woman?! We’re supposed to go to nice warm places!” And Freyja’s like “I BEEN told her!” They’re plotting against me now. Hahaha 😹 Would we ever do that again? No. Would I recommend it? No, but I might if your gear is waterproof, 4 season, you don’t mind packing away wet gear and you like seeing your cold breath in your tent 🙀 But at least I can say I tried it, gave it a chance and didn’t enjoy it versus never tried it at all. It’s okay if we don’t enjoy everything in life, we can still give new experiences a chance. #chasingcrystal #scotlandwinter #aberdeenshire #aberdeenshirecoast #stfergus #peterhead #ne250 #hondadominator #hondadominator250 #nx250 #motodistancing #mototour #mototourism (at Scotstown Beach) https://www.instagram.com/p/CnXdpA2vMzN/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[chasingcrystal]

Looking like the Michelin Man with a black trench coat. Ireland made me bust out my @nelsonrigg waterproof gear. After some rigorous testing, I’m disappointed to say this gear is not waterproof. I don’t think there’s a wrong way to use these, but my riding pants under these are completely SOAKED. I’ve worn these less than 10 times so it hasn’t reached the point of wear and tear. I mean, there are little or holes, so I wonder if the torrential rain got through there? Or is this user error and I’m not supposed to ride more than an hour in these? At this point I’m tempted to make my own waterproof suit with some duct tape. Hope y’all have better riding weather than me! #chasingcrystal #mototour #motortouring #motortouringadventure #solofemaletraveler #bikerchicksofinstagram #bikerchicksgram #hondadominator #hondadominator250 #nx250

https://www.instagram.com/p/Cr_SyTroXsd/

[chasingcrystal]

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So I make it to Malaga, Spain and figured it’s time for my overdue oil change. I know, I know. I should be doing these every 2,000km, but every time I look down at my odometer, I hit that distance in 5-7 days. Who has time to get an oil change every week?!

Okay, I do, but I’d don’t want to. So this time, I lagged for 10,000km. Don’t @ me 😹 My Dominator is indestructible, even from my shenanigans 🫠 The mechanic informs me my shocks are gone and it’s dangerous for me to ride with blown shocks. I ask why. He says I’ll be bouncing all over the place when I hit bumps and stuff and might fall. I tell him no wonder the rides have been more fun lately. I say I’ll replace them in Morocco. There just happens to be another customer at the shop who leads tours in Morocco and he laughs and says I won’t find any parts down there. Now, I know nothing about Morocco, but I’d rather not be SOL down there and have to scour each town for this one part. I decide to actually play it safe and get it replaced in Malaga.

The mechanic goes to the junk yard and finds a brand new totaled Honda CB500X with literally no miles on it. Poor new rider who crashed their new bike, but lucky Freyja! She and I lucked out with this beautiful new shock! They installed it in a few hours and sent me on my way! I’m so lucky with shops. They always move me to the front of the queue. I think they want my dank gone 😹

So…since these new shocks are compressed, I can actually reach the ground. It feels really weird. Since the bike is now lower, when I put down the kickstand, the bike is more center balanced versus super leaning over to the left like it did before. Sometimes I need to dismount on the right to ensure I can keep the bike leaning left. Also, the ride is way more smooth and stiff. I was actually having fun with the bike being so bouncy.

This is probably the first major part I’ve had to replace on Freyja. Other than tires, chains, and the ECU. I came in expecting to spend €40 on an oil change, but added another €200 on top of that. Oh well, I guess safety first 🤷‍♀️

#chasingcrystal #hondamotorcycles #hondamotos #hondamoto #hondamotorcycle #hondadominator #hondadominator250 #nx250

[chasingcrystal]

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Obsessed.

Hi everyone, my name is Crystal and I am absolutely obsessed with motorcycles. Motorcycles are so engrained in my life that I don’t know what I would do without them. It’s given me such an abundance of experiences, a sense of belonging and some amazing badass earthling friends all over the world. Every time I see a rider, I say out loud “My people!” I geek out and my little heart gets excited. Whatever your thing is, own it and I hope it brings you the same joy

Pictured is me camping with my Honda Dominator beside a Honda rig by the Connacht flag, one of the four provinces of West Ireland! This took me 30+ tries to toss the flag up and get as much of it to show. Dude, I’m short so my arm was sore after 😹 This was an unplanned camping spot and one of my favorite spots situated behind a beer garden. The best things are unplanned

What are you obsessed with?

#chasingcrystal #honda #hondamotorcycles #hondamotos #hondamoto #hondamotor #hondamotorsports #hondamotorbike #hondagirls #hondagirlssociety #hondagirlsdoitbetter #hondadominator #hondadominator250 #nx250

[chasingcrystal]

Good morning from Slug Corner! It was moist at night and a hoard of slugs came out and surrounded my tent and started crawling everywhere. On my gear, my bike, my tent 🤢 I didn’t want to deal with it at night so I let Future Crystal clean up the shiny slug trails in the morning. Next time I’m picking a dry patchy place to set up camp. It was a goopy experience, but sure makes for a good story. Always learning. Do you have any tips when you’re out camping to avoid past mistakes? #chasingcrystal #motocamping #motocamp #motocampingtrip #motocamping⛺ #motocampingadventure #motocamper #asianwomen #hondagirls #hondagirlssociety #hondagirlsdoitbetter #hondagirlsociety #hondadominator #hondadominator250 (at Tirol, Austria) https://www.instagram.com/p/CjnoBpNIZvV/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[chasingcrystal]

Happy Monday y’all! Hello from the “Newborn” monument in Pristina, Kosovo. The monument was unveiled on February 17, 2008, the day that Kosovo formally declared its independence from Serbia. The sculpture represents the birth of a new country, its positive connotations, and the potential for a modern, democratic Kosovo. At its unveiling, it was announced that the letters would be repainted annually to celebrate another year of freedom.  Traveling in the Balkans has taught me a lot. We Americans assume we have so many problems and think Europe is so chill (pre-Russia and Ukraine war of course). But once you talk to locals and learn the history of each of these countries, there’s a lot of tension that still exists due to thousands of years of history. Me standing in front of one monument or another doesn’t mean I am pro-one country or the other and I don’t claim to know the complete history of conflicts to be educated enough to even have an opinion. With this sculpture, I enjoy the art and a hope for a brighter future. Be good y’all, let’s tackle this week 💪 #chasingcrystal #asianwomen #asianwoman #dualsportwomen #dualsportlife #solofemale #solofemaletraveler #solofemaletravel #hondagirl #hondagirls #hondagirlssociety #hondagirlsdoitbetter #hondadominator #hondadominator250 #motul #mototouring #solomoto #motorcyclegirlsofinstagram #motodistancing #mototour #kosovo #newbornpristina #newbornkosovo #newbornsculpture (at Pristina, Kosovo) https://www.instagram.com/p/CgugNsCrxnn/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[chasingcrystal]

Goodbye Athena, hello Freyja 💪👩🏻 My friend and I bought another bike, Frankensteined the parts I wanted from Athena to Freyja and now we have a 1990 Dominator instead of a 1996 😺 Things Frankensteined: fairings, gas tank, handlebars, tires, center stand, tail light cover, usb charger, passenger footpegs These bikes are sisters to me and so as I was trying to figure out what to name the new bike, I thought since Athena is the Greek goddess of war and wisdom, I wanted to find another muse who inspires me. That was when in my research, I stumbled upon Freya. She is the Norse pagan goddess of war, wisdom, love, seiðr (magic for seeing and influencing the future) and rides a chariot pulled by two cats. How fitting 😺 Meow and the next evolution of myself 🔮 I’ll just ignore that she’s the goddess of fertility 🫠 I am so grateful to Danny who helped me. I’d literally be stranded without a bike without him. I credit him with giving me my wings this next chapter of our journey. Onward, Freyja! #chasingcrystal #netherlandstravel #visitnetherlands #nx250 #hondadominator #hondadominator250 #hondagirlssociety #hondagirls #wrenchlife (at Netherlands) https://www.instagram.com/p/CmKFl9mL3F_/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=