Featured Then There Were 3 Again: Nature Abhors A Vacuum--and So Evidently Do I

Well, I managed to last six and a half months owning "only" two motorcycles. I'd had three in my stable for six years prior to that until I traded two bikes for one new bike last May. But that empty garage space kept calling out to me. And nature abhors a vacuum. So I'm now back to three bikes again having purchased this 2020 H-D Low Rider S this past Friday. Yep, I bought it on Friday the 13th--and from a salesman named Jason at dealership called Superstition H-D. Fortunately my mom always said that she considered Friday the 13th a lucky day rather than an unlucky one. That turned out to be true for me this past Friday!



My new Low Rider S is similar in style and function to the Dyna Low Rider S that I traded. However, this model is now in the Softail line and has Harley's M8 engine and a different (and much improved) chassis and suspension system than the Dyna. I saw this specific bike when Mr. Sandi and I were returning from an overnighter MC trip about a month ago. We'd never been to Superstition H-D though it's just up the road from us about 100 miles. I'd been drooling over and researching and contemplating the new Low Rider S but when I saw this version with its custom matte black paint job, tank badging and graphics, I was smitten. So I went up to test ride it a couple of weeks ago and that sealed the deal.

There were a few things I wanted the dealership to do for me prior to taking ownership so Jason and I looked at the calendar to figure out when service would be done with that and to coordinate a day that he was working and I was off. Friday the 13th was the first day all the stars aligned.

Mr. Sandi and I drove up in his truck in the morning and three of our good ride buddies rode up with us on their motorcycles. That gave me three friends to ride back home with. We met up at one of our usual QT meeting locations where our buddies got first dibs on their choice of the three dozen donuts I brought for the dealership staff at Superstition. "New Bike Day" is reason enough for a party and a celebration!



The donuts and apple fritters are from Amy's Donuts, where my Speed Triple and I celebrated our first anniversary a year ago. Amy's has the best donuts in town--and definitely the best apple fritters!


Here's my new bike all set up and waiting for me to bring him to his new home.



We spent the better part of the day at the dealership so treated our friends to burritos at Erickberto's a half a block down the street from the dealership. Donuts and burritos--can't beat that.



It was a gorgeous day with sunny blue skies and a high temperature of 73ºF, just right for for a little Mexican food lunch outdoors and a 100-mile ride home on a new motorcycle.



My lunch--a potato, cheese, and egg breakfast burrito with tomatillo salsa.



All signed and paid for, this baby is now officially mine! Jason took this photo just prior to us riding back south to Tucson. I am one happy camper.



Here's "the gang" all tucked into the garage safe and sound. The new guy has already made friends with his new buddies. That empty space is now filled and all is right with the world. Well, maybe not the world but certainly with our garage.

 

This meme pretty much sums up why I decided to pull the trigger and fill that empty garage space with my new bike. With all the crap that has happened in 2020--a bicycle accident and surgery, COVID, job loss, a raging fire in the mountains five miles to our north, cancelled rallies and scuba trip and visits with family and friends, rioting in the streets--it became crystal clear to me that life IS short. And Mr. Sandi and I won't be able to ride forever. So I'm making hay while the sun shines.



Plus there's always this "excuse" too.....

 

Thanks, @Privateer! I'll be on the lookout for that "Nasty Weather" filter for my iPhone. I will plan to post a ride review in the near future. I've got just over 200 miles on the bike and will ride it a couple of hundred more at least before sharing my observations and thoughts.

We did a small group ride this morning (still allowed here in Arizona) and rode to breakfast in Mammoth, a town about 50 miles up the road. Of course I rode my Low Rider S. Gotta get that break-in accomplished. Part of the route has nice big sweepers which the Low Rider handled like a champ. SO MUCH FUN!


For all the times we've ridden past Mi Pueblito on our way north on motorcycle trips, we'd never eaten there before today. It was terrific and will definitely become one of our staple Sunday ride destinations. Great food and homemade fresh flour tortillas. Yum!


I didn't think to snap a photo of my breakfast but I ordered the delicious pork posole (or pozole). It was rather chilly on the ride to Mammoth so a steaming bowl of Mexican stew was perfect.




This place is very motorcycle friendly with designated parking right in front. They even have the ingress / egress marked off to be one way making it even more convenient. And if you sit on the lovely outdoor patio, your bike is practically in your lap! We met the owner just prior to heading home. He shared that he used to ride so the conveniences offered to motorcyclists here are definitely by design. He's is from Iowa originally, @Hobnail. He had on an Iowa Hawkeyes (University of Iowa) tee shirt which sparked a conversation since my dad and one of my brothers went to Iowa State (the rival Cyclones).

There were six of us in the group today and the bikes represented included three Harleys, one Indian, one Suzuki, and a Victory. Three other bikes were already parked out front when we arrived. I suspect many others make this place a ride destination, too.


That's Mr. Sandi's Street Glide and my Low Rider S just over the wall from our table.




This is the view from the restaurant patio. Those mountains in the background are the Galiuros. It was a truly beautiful day for riding. We pulled out of the garage with the temperature right at at 50ºF. That dropped noticeably as we climbed up towards Oracle which has an altitude of 4,500 ft. Tucson is as 2,300 ft. so it's always a cooler near Oracle as a result. Today I actually got quite cold in spite of wearing multiple layers under my leather jacket. Yeah, I'll admit it. I'm a desert rat and a cold wimp.

 

Thanks, @Dawsy! Funny you should say that and the smile on our faces. I had a conversation with Mr. Sandi about the pros and cons of buying the bike. I said that on the "con" side it wasn't a very logical nor practical nor financially wise. And his response was, "Sweetheart, I think you should do whatever puts a big grin on your face! And that's what riding and motorcycles does for you!" I love that man.

Mr. Sandi and I have had a lot of conversations in the last couple of years about how we would like to spend the next 10-20 years--in large part based on our current ages. The overall bottom line for us is we're not gonna wait around until "some day" to live life and do the things that put big smiles on our faces.

 

Yes, the Harleys now outnumber the Triumphs once again, Billy. But I love my new Low Rider and my Street Glide, so I'm afraid the only option would be to get another Triumph and have four bikes! But that would mean Mr. Sandi would have to get rid of his motorcycle. Or park it in the driveway. That ain't happening..... And I don't want him to get rid of it as he's my favorite riding buddy and best motorcycle mate!

 

Naw, @Avinarant, an electric bike isn't for me. At least not for now. I love the sound and the feel and even the smell of my gasoline-powered motorcycles too much. And the limited range is a real dealbreaker, too. The test ride I did on the LiveWire was fun but mostly because it was a unique experience. Well, the instant torque was pretty darned fun, too. Perhaps if I won the lottery (unlikely as I don't play it!) and had a bigger garage I'd consider an electric motorcycle. But again, it would be mostly just for the novelty of it.