Featured What you been doing with your TRIUMPH today??

I organize our Sunday group rides so sometimes I just make an executive decision about where we'll ride. Today was one of those days, and my executive decision (with Steve's input of course) was to ride up Mt. Lemmon. I opted to ride my Speed Triple RS because--well, check out the map below. It was the first time we'd ridden up the mountain in months. No one was quite sure we hadn't ridden Lemmon all summer since it's always significantly cooler than Tucson at the base of the valley. But today it was glorious day for a ride up a beautiful, twisty-turn 25-mile road.

It's about 17 miles from our house to the base of Mt. Lemmon and another 25-ish to Ski Valley and our turnaround point. This Google Map just shows today's route from near the base of the mountain up to Ski Valley. As you ascend, you go through five biological life zones! The leaves were turning golden and the air was quite chilly the higher we rode. The altitude of the parking lot where we turned around is about 9,000 ft and the base is right around 2,500 ft. Wheeee!



We were surprised but pleasantly so when eleven people showed up at the gas station including Mike, the identical twin of our friend, Chris. We'd heard all about him but this was the first time we got to meet him. It was absolutely uncanny how identical these two guys are down to speech patterns and mannerisms, not just appearance. They surely are identical! Here's Chris on the left side of the photo and Mike on the right. And in the middle is Cassie, Chris's significant other and soon to be wife and baby mama.

We got a bit split up along the ride up due to traffic but all met at the top and took a brief break to stretch and for me to snap some photos. Speedy with one of the ski runs just beyond.






Looking out to the east valley on the opposite side of the parking lot and ski area



Russell was back out on his bike. This was his second ride since his total knee replacement just over two months ago. This is his bike and that's him on the left.



Some of our large group. We got split up going down the mountain to breakfast, too. When we got to the restaurant parking lot, one of the group told the rest of us that one of the new(er) riders to the group couldn't get his bike started up right away. He had a loaner Harley. The wonderful "coincidence" is that he's a mechanic at our Tucson H-D dealership and it took him about a nanosecond to diagnose and fix the problem. The arrived about 5 minutes after we did!

Back home after a fantastic ride. I totally forgot to take any photos at breakfast of our group or of good!



Speedy back in his home of shame. Just kidding. He has is ok out here by the side of the house.



And both of these covers go on when the bike has cooled enough. Pretty soon I won't need to put on the silver reflector cover because our temperatures are finally cooling down nicely.



It was finally cool enough to swap out my mesh riding jacket for this Speed & Strength textile one. That's always a sign that autumn is finally here!

 

Well, it was yesterday actually, but I gave the T120 the full monty at Trott Racing. Valet, ceramic coating and ACF50, so now completely ready for the winter.

 

Fired up the heated grips today for the first time in ages.
4.3deg over Holme Moss this afternoon and down to 3.2 coming home over Ringinglow. Not be long before the gritters are out. Boo!

 

Our temps here in Arizona are just now cooling off, @Pegscraper. Sounds like yours are doing more than simply cooling off. Question...what are "gritters"??

 

How the other half live!

 

Gritters are the trucks that spread Rock Salt on the roads in Winter, like they do in some of the colder States in the US, to help prevent freezing and thaw any lying snow. TBH they are a necessary “evil”, if they weren’t used there’d be even more carnage on the roads than there already is but we all know what salt water does for corrosion!
What are the lowest temperatures you can expect to see in an Arizona Winter Sandi?

https://www.clearwaygritting.co.uk/news-top-10-facts-you-dont-know-about-gritting-116

 

Yeah, what a bugger ! Darn !.. Darn !
Oops, did I forget to mention it's around 21o here , 72o-ish for you goldanged 'mericans ! .. at 8:30 AM !!
Boy's had old time speedwayer's first ride for end of winter this week ..... one guess who couldn't do it ? Seven weeks on /off excruciating shoulder pain, apparently brought on by having a headache specialist, ( lovely Irish woman ) freeing up discs in the neck and deep massage, etc ? She told me it could be a possibility for a bit, but the head moves three ways now ... so will be able to eye-up them car pricks that are out to getcha, better, so ... ??
20/30 miles and best to turn home while can still use clutch ? .. not trying to track down them Honda autos either ???
We'll get there ... christ, if my mate could ride his Trident .. and Big Block with one arm, who's to bitch, eh ?

 

Ahhh, what a good name for those trucks! I'm quite familiar with all the shite that gets spread upon the roads in the winter having grown up in Minnesota. And most of it ruins all things vehicular. Forgetting about that, I asked my nephews last winter if they were able to go ride their motorcycles when the temperatures were reasonably nice and they reminded their auntie about the "gritters". I'll have to give them a new descriptive vocabulary word.

 

I finished wrapping the black aluminum panniers with Black Vinyl Wrap Adhesive Film today to protect them from dings, scratches and my size 10 motorcycle boots!

 

They look smart!

 

Riding it!

 

Try again @learningtofly


So, today being the end of October, maybe a good time to sorn it.

Took the 765 out for a spin to end 2025.



Masham for breakfast.

Then a wander through the lanes.

 

Up around Carlton.





Lovely autumnal colours in the background

 

Back home early for a wash and pamper.

 

Blow dry and corrosion prep.



131 miles today, no heroics, new tyres both ends, and muddy roads in places.

Look at those chicken strips

 

What a fantastic bike, all marketing and hype aside, Triumph just got the gen 1 765 just so right from day one.



Do the later ones really offer more..... I don't think so.

Later gens running 1st gen header pipes due to welded pipes.
Later dash
None switchable ABS
OBD socket changed to nullify earlier connection options.

How did gen 2 onwards really benefit the user in real world, everyday, usage?

Maybe on track for that 1% extra but not on the roads.

My 765 still brings a smile, 15,000 miles and 6 years later.

 

Garaged with cover on. My Speed Twin 900 is hibernating for the winter. Wish I could do the same!

 

I can't quite imagine having to put my bikes up for the winter as you all are starting to do. I should have some idea, though, since I grew up in Minnesota...but I didn't ride back then. We here in Arizona are heading into the nicest time to ride since it's not 114ºF like @Bolosun mentioned were the temps in the Mojave desert when he did his Route 66 trip.

Every so often my hubby teases (it had better be just teasing!) about moving to the family farm in Minnesota but then I remind him we'd only be able to ride 6 months of the year rather than all 12. That tends to quiet him down.

 

And speaking of nice temperatures, Steve and I did a lovely ride with just the two of us a few days ago. I rode Speedy and Steve rode his 2001 Fat Boy. We rode over Gates Pass and through Tucson Mountain Park and Saguaro National Park. I love that we can ride out the door and ride through a national park--and I try to never, ever take that for granted! We finished up at Truland Burgers and Greens for an early dinner.







That's my alcohol-free Heineken on the right. I'd have been better off just having a soda like Steve did.



Steve had a burger. This is my Sonoran hot dog. It was very tasty though not really representative of the Sonoran hot dog genre. Those little round dealies are sweet potato tater tots. Now those were good!

 

How many bikes do you have between you, @Sandi T?