It was only fitting that I go for another motorcycle ride today to usher in the new year and the new decade after bidding adieu to 2019 aboard my Speed Triple yesterday. Today on New Year's Day I rode solo as Mr. Sandi was quite content to hang out with our boxer, Annie, and watch college football bowl games. I rode in solitude, counting my many blessings and enjoying the vast beauty around me. My best wishes to each of you for a happy and healthy 2020! My ride was just shy of 50 miles and it was great to ride on a holiday with little traffic on the roads. Yesterday's New Year's Eve ride was to the west of Tucson. Today's New Year's Day ride was to the north. It was a spectacular ride with some snow still visible at the higher elevations in the Santa Catalina Mountains. I rode into a "master planned community" called Saddlebrooke. It's mostly retired folks and houses that all look pretty much alike. But the setting is magnificent with the Catalina Mountain looming above the valley and the golf course. My aunt and uncle (my dad's sister) are snowbirds from Michigan and live in Saddlebrooke from January until the beginning of May. Everyone was in "holiday mode"--friendly, curious about my bike (especially one little girl about four years old!), and eager to tell me about the bike they "used to ride". Delightful! I don't really know how to do "selfies" (which I'm actually proud to admit) but I gave it my best shot for this pic when I stopped for gas in Saddlebrooke. Then a very nice older gentleman who was one of those "I used to ride" guys agreed to take a photo of me and my bike for me. The temperature today while I was out was just shy of 60ºF. It felt colder than that, though, so I was a bit chilly. But I'm not complaining as I know many of you live where it's far colder, darker, and wetter than what I rode in today. Here's my view of the north side of the Catalina Mountains while donning my sunglasses for the ride back home from Saddlebrooke. Have a fantastic new year and new decade everyone! Happy 2020--a year of great vision.
Eek! Sorry for the multiple posts of my selfie attempt! Of all the photos to see more than once. Sheesh.
Thanks Sandi, I thought about a new years ride today with temps ranging from 40-50 f, but winds were 20-30 mph. So with a head cold I chickened out to avoid a sneeze in the helmet. Ride safe, and enjoy your weather before summer hits. Let's invent a "bikerbird" who moves residences based on weather.
We’ve barely reached 37 degrees in these parts after a few days when the frost never left the ground. Mind you, at least cold and stone walls are the only natural hazards https://www.foxnews.com/science/3-mountain-lions-in-arizona-killed-after-feeding-on-human-remains
Yep, @Callumity, we do have a few "unique" hazards here in the desert and mountains. This trail area where the mountain lions were found is just up the road from our house about six miles . The trailhead to get that particular area is only a few hundred yards from where I took this photo about a month ago while out and about on my Speed Triple.
Thanks, @Bikerman! Glad you enjoyed the pics and write up. I hope that you and those you love had a terrific New Year's! And that you have a good upcoming year in 2020. Wow, that just sounds so weird--2020. Hard to believe that is has been 20 years since we were fretting about Y2K. Sigh........
Yet again awesome pic's, I had to show my wife so she could appreciate the hardships I had to endure when I was over there she laughed and told me how lucky I was, ride safe
Bikerbird...has a nice ring to it, and, Bikerbirds won’t hold everyone up by riding slow like Snowbirds seem to do!
Yes, I agree about Bikerbirds not holding everyone up by riding slowly like Snowbirds drive. Although there are a number in Tucson already, they descend en masse now that it's January, and the holidays are over, Ken.
Surprise! It was actually sunny and the roads were (relatively) dry for once. Took the BMW out for the first time since I swapped the bars over - I'm going to post a thread on that once I sort the photos - all thanks to @Winglad and AC Schnitzer! What a difference - I can actually ride the bloody thing now without booking sessions with chiropractor!
Sandi T You are a treasure. Great write up. And to many selfies of a beautiful Lady on her bike is never enough. Thanks for the write up and fantastic pictures. Regards & Ride Safe. Joe.
Great photos, steve! That's a good looking beemer. And I'm glad to read that it was sunny and dry and that you were able to get out for a ride. Nice to have a bike setup that doesn't send you the the chiropractor, too. Life is good!
Thanks Sandi, it's back to grey skies this morning but may brighten up later. At least it's not raining! I have no idea what BMW were thinking when they put those bars on. I've just read that Motorcycle News' chief road tester named it the "torture bike" when it came out in 2017. They're probably not the lowest bars but they're too far forward to ever be practical. The new bars are over 4" higher, 2" wider and almost 3" closer and what a difference that makes!
Hope your day has brightened up, Steve! Mr. Sandi and I just did a two hour bicycle ride with a couple of friends and now I'm gearing up to ride my Speed Triple a bit because the weather is so nice. Well, and just because! Sometimes I wonder if motorcycle manufacturers build stock bikes in such a way that buyers are inclined to spend even more in the parts department to make the ergos work. I know that not all bikes fit all people but sometimes the stock setup is just plain off as it sounds like happened with your BMW. But I'm glad you found new bars that work great for you! We have a friend who has that same bike and still has the same bars. He's not very comfortable on it, I must say. What bars did you get? I may recommend them to him. "Torture bike"--not the best description for marketing, I'd say!
Hi Sandi, yes the sun came out this afternoon so out for a couple of hours on the BMW again. I got the bars through a company called AC Schnitzer - they're a third party tuning company for both BMW cars and bikes. I ordered mine direct from Germany as they were £70 cheaper than from the UK based company! They have a branch in the US located in Miami so might be worth checking them out for your friend.
Glad the sun came out for you, Steve, and that you got out on your bike this afternoon! Thanks so much for the info on your bars! I'll share it with my riding buddy.
