Thanks all. I’d been fancying a new toy for a bit but not quite got round to it until now. Looked at loads of stuff, tested a few and in the end it came down to the BMW and the Triumph Speed Triple RS, both were fantastic and there was no wrong choice. Considering that I’ve already got 2 Triumphs I thought I’d try a change of manufacturer. No offence Speed Triple RS! Only did about 100 miles yesterday and looking forward to getting it out for some more miles in the near future.
Just had the Bullet re-shod, a set of Dunlop K70, very good quality, improved the handling and are a traditional look for the bike.
A nice little group of seven of us did a ride down to Patagonia this past Sunday. One of our group suggested we have lunch at the Velvet Elvis so we did. The place doesn't open until 11:00am, though, so that may be our last Sunday ride to that particular venue until temps cool down again in the fall. We're getting up into the 90'sºF now so things are heating up in the desert once again! I rode my H-D Low Rider ST. My Triumph is up next in the ride cue and my H-D Street Glide is in the shop waiting for a new front wheel. I'll be posting a thread about that particular "adventure" soon. That's my bike on the far left of the pic. We arrived about half an hour before the Velvet Elvis opened so found a nice shady spot right across the street to wait and chat. My mini-pizza, "The Popeye" A nice 160-ish miles on the day. I gassed up at the beginning of the ride and my range was only 32 when I got home. It was quite windy but....not quite like the range on my Street Glide, that's for sure! And there's a possibility I'll be taking this bike on our next trip in three short weeks if I don't get that wheel in time. That will definitely be a game changer as far as both gassing up and packing go. Comfort, too.... The temperature when we arrived home. Time to move our Sunday ride start times earlier!!
I thought you'd rode to Argentina for a minute! I'm still p'd off that due to my crash I'm not on our (instigated by me) Irish trip... Good to see you had a nice break!
@Sandi T: As always, many thanks for the great pictures and interesting stories. I am waiting for your explanation of your "-event".
Giving my sons Ducati Panigale 1299s an annual service and going through thoroughly prior to the TT and S100 and no MGP this year. I know people improvise regarding Ducati tools, but personally I only use these as it just makes life a lot easier, you would not believe what some do in order to remove the front wheel for example. These bikes were £30,000 new with the full Akro exhaust you would think owners wouldn't risk it. The oil alone is now £90 so the cost can mount up. I was asked to have a look at a Multistrada not long back as the person had attempted to adjust his chain without the correct tool, he used a metal drift and hammer and removed a number of the teeth, he admitted he forgot to slacken off the swing arm bolts. The Desmo service is not due until 15,000 miles (unlike the STRS) Next in is my other sons Suzuki Katana for a service.
I mounted the topbox, action camera and satnav to my new V-Strom 800RE. So much nicer having the nav up above the clocks instead of down on the bars as it was on my T100.
Hi Vulpes, thanks for the nice comment, it does get ridden, although not that much as my son is cave diving and climbing most weekends, we mainly go out in the evenings along with my other son, his first bike was a Suzuki GSXR 600 that he bought new 12 months before passing his test, it was in my garage a year under wraps, his next bike was an ex MGP Supertwin Road Race machine, the Ducati Panigale 1299s was his second bike for road riding. Ride safe all from an ageing Rocker.
Hi Vulpes, thanks for the nice comment, it does get ridden, although not that much as my son is cave diving and climbing most weekends, we mainly go out in the evenings along with my other son, his first bike was a Suzuki GSXR 600 that he bought new 12 months before passing his test, it was in my garage a year under wraps, his next bike was an ex MGP Supertwin Road Race machine, the Ducati Panigale 1299s was his second bike for road riding. Ride safe all from an ageing Rocker.
Hi, Wim! So....what crash???!!! Did I miss that? I do hope that you're ok physically although I can definitely understand being p'd off about missing a trip. Just hoping you're all right. Nah, not Argentina, just a ride south from Tucson. Here's a bit of info about "my" Patagonia. Quite different I'd say. It isn't IN another country but it is NEAR another country--20 miles from Mexico.
Great pics, @Iceman. And yes, a beautiful bike. I agree with you about folks paying big bucks for a bike then doing work on them themselves without the tools or training or knowledge. I have to say that when I read that your son does cave diving I felt a shiver down my spine--and one of fear, not excitement! I'm a diver but no one's getting me to go in a cave! A cenote, yes. A swim-through, yes. A cave? H*ll no!!
Hi @Sandi T , I suppose you missed that, as I only posted it on "the other" forum. 5 weeks ago I was happily riding minding my own business when some blind moron pulled out 10 yards in front of me. Nothing to be done. Bike (my year-old Tiger) is a write-off, me 6 fractured ribs, 3 with multiple fractures. Ouch… So I was taken to the ICU, not because I was in critical condition, but on account of having had a tube in my spine through which they fed me very powerful drugs I needed to be monitored. They put a tube somewhere else too, which I did not like . After a week in hospital I went home, and am now on the mend (slowly). All of this did mean I could not go on my planned trip to Ireland with AndyC1 and Wessa.
Out to enjoy the sunshine this afternoon, on Bulbarrow Hill looking over the Blackmoor vale on the Bullet.
Hi Sandi, he took up cave diving when we were no longer able to go Mountaineering together, he has videos on YouTube, I would have to ask him to send me the link, he goes abroad a bit, but he seems to be concentrating more on his climbing at present, El Capitan has always interested me but alas no longer possible. I like your trip write up and photos, wish the UK had weather like that, all we seem to get are more and more speed cameras. Ride safe all from an ageing Rocker.
Oh no, That's terrible, @Vulpes! I'm so sorry to learn about your accident and the damage not only to you but to you nearly new Tiger. I can empathize and know how crummy it is to be injured and laid up. But as my accident was a bicycle crash (and of my own doing to boot), I didn't have the double whammy of my motorcycle being "injured" too. I hope you heal up quickly and that you can get another trip planned to at least in part make up for the one you're currently missing.
