Featured What you been doing with your TRIUMPH today??

As it is crappy weather today I thought I'd do a job I'd been postponing for a while. The sat nav on the mrs.' Street Triple was still connected straight to the battery. Not ideal. So took the rear end to bits, and found a switched live for the rear break light. Spliced into that, tidied everything up and reassembled. Job done.

 

Today @Helmut Visor and I went to a joint car / bike meet nearby. The bike numbers are beginning to climb now we're coming out of winter, although it was pretty chilly out on the bikes today. There was good coffee, friendly bike chat and a few interesting machines there including a lovely BSA Bantam. I always mean to take photos but get sidetracked just by looking and forget! At least I managed to look competent riding in and out and parking, nothing like riding through loads of petrol heads all looking at what machine you're on to make you feel the pressure .

The police came to do some "community relations" type work round where the noisiest of the cars were parked and funnily enough lots of the antics were toned right down . The children got to play with the blue lights in the police vehicle though so they were happy!

More importantly (to me!) I went out first just for a quick 14 mile loop to hear my new exhaust, unpolluted by the twin baffle - free Akrapovics that grace the Tuono . To me it sounds amazing; a deeper growly note at low speeds and the lovely whine and howl are still really audible when moving faster. The baffle is still in; I might take it out to see what it sounds like.

 

After experimenting again with bits of wood as handlebar risers I indulged in wishful thinking and convinced myself brake cable was long enough to fit Montone up-and-over risers; so I ordered some and fitted them today...



Turns out I was deluding myself and past half-lock the cables touch the top yoke. Not bad enough to stop me going for a test ride, but bad enough not to want to leave it like that.

Thing is, brake cable has 'funny' connector under the tank which made me think I couldn't get a custom cable...



Bike is a Speedmaster but I had the Bobber bars fitted when I bought it, so I have the original longer cables (wrong orientation to use unfortunately) so I could have a good look at the connector on those...



It's a 10mmx1.25 thread and it turns out you can get those adaptors with Venhill's 'Powerhose Plus' lines. Wished I'd realised this a couple of years ago. Anyway, shall be ordering a kit to extend the line in the coming weeks.

 

It's ok in the sun here but chilly when it clouds over. No bikes this weekend.

I like the look of that Tuono. I must try one out sometime.

 

Gotta love those road 5's! On my second set, love 'm!

 

Met with a mate on his Thruxton and me on mine. We did a run to Market Drayton via Nantwich, onto Shrewsbury and up the A49 to Whitchurch. Stopped at Ma Bakers cafe for a coffee before heading to Bill Smiths in Chester. Another coffee before heading for home. It was only 6 to 7c today, so to cold to stop and take pictures. The sound those two Thruxton make is intoxicating and they look sooo’ good together

 

Well I managed to take pictures at Willingham woods, and it was no heatwave there.

 

Good on ya!

 

Fatbars and risers fitted today

 

clean and polish waiting for the pollen to calm down it was 1794 today and 2477 . I've seen Atlanta Springs where it was up to 10000 . I've learned to just chill out and wait for it to clear.

 

@Mrs Visor
Sounds like a fun day, Mrs Visor! Thanks for sharing the photos that you did take. I wish it was possible to post sounds so I could hear that new exhaust on your bike. Glad to know you're happy with it!

 

Nice that your mate is well please with his new-to-him 2012 Speedy, @Dawsy! Has he had a Triumph before this? It's also nice to know your feelings about the new Road 5's. I'll be in the market for new tires for my Speed Triple relatively soon.

 

Glad you kept your Thruxton, @Wessa! Sounds like you are, too. How were those new bars on along ride?

 

It's definitely allergy season, @Greywolf55. The pollen doesn't affect me too much but it does do a number on a lot of my friends and my hubby is somewhat affected as well. At least you got some cleaning and polishing accomplished!

 

My two brothers sisters-in law were here in Tucson for a few days over the weekend. We had lots on our agenda and I didn't think I'd get in a ride. However, I managed to sneak in a little 50-miler on my Speed Triple on Sunday afternoon when everyone else was taking a nap. But perhaps I also needed a nap because when I stopped for gas about 10 miles into the ride, I realized that I had everything with me...except my wallet! That was actually a first for me since I started riding. Anyway, I dutifully turned around and rode straight back home to retrieve it since I had no money, credit/debit cards, or drivers license. But I also went straight back out on the road since it was such a gorgeous day (high 70º's F) and everyone else was still chilled out.

I know that gas prices are higher in many places but the price I paid today when I filled up Speedy--$4.90 a gallon--is close to the most I've ever paid for gas. Once several years back when riding into the corner of California while at the Laughlin River Run in Nevada we paid $5.10 a gallon.

 

Wee blast up to Tea@ the shee Café

 

After the office closed, my wife and I rode our BONNIEs the first time without waterproof touring motorcycle clothing in motorcycle jeans and leather jackets to a large outlet in the neighboring province. The temperatures were between 17 and 20 degrees Celsius. Wonderful! On the return trip we had a negative highlight, but fortunately without consequences. At a railroad crossing, a long column formed in the other direction of travel. We drove away in our direction of travel after opening the barrier and suddenly a car raced through the column out of a side alley, without paying attention to the traffic on the other direction of travel. Since my wife was driving ahead, she had the dubious pleasure of doing an emergency brake test with her BONNIE. It was a close call, but aside from her moment of shock, we were able to continue riding afterwards. Then at the next intersection, after a massive "knock" on his side window, which luckily held, I confronted the driver as to what this insane action was all about. It was 2 young guys with a vehicle from Poland, which became very meek. After about 140 km we arrived healthy in the early evening back home.

 

So pleased you are both ok.... there are some right numpties on the roads today.

 

Went over to the pottiers dealership today to pick up a couple of silencer gaskets. I took the LexTec exhaust off the interceptor a couple of weeks ago and sold them to a guy down the street. Needed the gaskets to refit the oem exhaust before I put the interceptor up for sale.
I then went to Staffordshire Triumph for a quick look around. To my surprise there was a camera crew there filming a Triumph promotional video to support the DGR and the special T120 and the Gibson guitar. I have posted a celebrity picture in the Who is This Then thread....

The thruxton performed brilliantly, I love the riding position with the flat bars.

 

Took my GS down to my local garage to get a tyre fitted first thing this morning then collected it and had a wee run to scrub the tyres in. When i got home i decided to go a run on the Rocket down to the Trossachs to do that forest trail that i went to earlier this year but couldn't do it at it was closed then. first stop of the day was at the Broch café near Callander


Some pics on the Three Lochs forest drive, it is a one way loop of about 7 miles some lovely scenery and lots of places to stop and have a picnic