Winter Wonderland my arse

Had a good ride yesterday despite low temperatures. It was only in the 40s (F) so I was bundled up like a little kid going sledding. I wore a T-shirt, long sleeved work shirt, two sweatshirts, jeans, thermal overalls and perfecto-style jacket.
I stayed around town because it's colder and more windy out in the country. It was Saturday but I stuck mostly to back streets and avoided most traffic.

I noticed that my new tires (Pirelli Sport Demon) feel different when they are cold. The bike felt a little awkward until I'd ridden for about half an hour. I already knew that tires behave differently at different temps but I've never noticed such a dramatic difference. I take it easy for the first half hour anyway, to let the engine warm up properly. Even then I ease into higher revs for awhile. I don't tend to really push the bike until it's been running for about an hour.

(In super-hot weather it's different. I'm reluctant to really crank it when I know the bike is running high on the hot side. All my Hondas ran less well when it was around 100 degrees out, so I took it easy. The Triumph only felt a little different on high 90s days last summer, but I took it easy anyway.)

I'll continue to ride in above freezing temps (32+) as long as there's no snow or ice on the street. There was a little bit on the ground yesterday, but not in the streets.

I'm hoping and praying for a mild winter with lots of "Indian Summer" days.

One of my favorite shots

This is one of my favorite ride pics. It's on old Highway 100 just off Highway T west of St. Louis.

The Best Motorcycle in the World

The Chrome Nun, my 2008 Triumph Bonneville T100, is the best motorcycle in the world. I'm biased, of course, but that really is the way I feel about The Nun. And I will now elaborate on my absurd statement.

If I could have designed my dream motorcycle it would have been very close to the reality of the new Bonneville. The new Bonnie has the name and look of a classic but is built with the highest standards of engineering and quality. This is a Triumph that Sochiro Honda would respect.

I like a lot of different motorcyles and would own a dozen different bikes if I could afford them, but since I can only afford one right now, my best bet is a Bonnie. I ride all kinds of roads. I'm a backroader and an explorer. I never know what kind of road I'll turn down next. For that kind of riding I'm most comfortable on a mid-size naked standard twin. That description includes the Sportster and the new Guzzi V7, both of which I like. I just like the Bonnie more.

If the Bonnie was much bigger it wouldn't be suited for bad back roads. If it was much smaller it wouldn't handle well on fast highways. The new Bonnie is an old-fashioned general-purpose motorcycle, and that's my favorite kind. I like that I can confidently turn down any road that captures my curiosity.

Of all the new Bonnevilles I like the 2008 T100 best. I love the retro styling of the T and '08 was the last year for real carburetors (in the US). Electronic Fuel Injection has become very dependable but a carb failure will most likely just slow you down while an EFI failure could stop you cold. Anyway, I dislike the "phony carbs" on the EFI models.

And of all the color schemes on the new Bonnies, many of which I think look great, I like the b&w T100 the most. I like black motorcycles but these days all-black is a little too black for my taste. The b&w T reminds me of a police motorcycle. Maybe that's comforting.

I've made a few important changes to The Nun which have made her even more suited to me. And this bike is the first showroom-new vehicle I've ever bought for myself. And when you put this all together it seems right that before and after every ride I just stand there looking at The Nun with admiration and wonder that I got so lucky.

Some people shouldn't ride.

Last weekend I met a nice 50ish fellow with a cool new neo-retro Moto Guzzi V7. We talked at length about backroading, avoiding traffic and just enjoying riding. I thought we were kindred spirits until I saw him depart on the bike. Instead of a smooth confident take-off he handled the machine like it was his first time. Actually, the first time I rode a motorcycle I handled it more deftly than the way he rode.

Different people have different characteristics, like attitude and coordination, that make them better or poorly suited for certain physical activities. I was a natural for motorcycling. My motorcycle racing uncle Bill was probably a natural. But his little brother, my father, had no business on a motorcycle. Dad dumped bikes. And when you watched him ride, you understood why.

I need to observe bad riders and see if there is a tell, a genetic marker, like maybe they are terrible dancers...