Envious Of England And Europe!

When I do mid Summer, Sunday day trips to Scotland (600+ miles) I set off at 4am to get a quiet, clear run. Coming home in late afternoon is a congested nightmare in comparison, even though it is Sunday!

 

I remember thinking the same thing a few years back when in the morning I was riding around Paris, looking at the Eifel tower and then in the evening riding through central London past the houses of parliament...
When I went to Massachusetts on business I asked them where they'd all been and most hadn't left that part of America and had never even thought about going to the west coast. It's definitely a big country.

 

Went to Vegas in 2014 as eldest son and wife to be decided that was where they wanted to get married. While there we hired some Harleys (had never ridden one before) and rode to the Hoover Dam. An incredible piece of engineering and constructed in an unbelievably fast timeframe.



What a clunker. Dropping it into first sounded like a toolbox hitting the floor as the clutch dragged so much some front brake was needed to keep it from moving when at the lights.

 

If you ever get the chance to see The Grand Canyon, do it. I’ve been there 3x and will go again when I can. The most spectacular feat of nature there is. Pictures can’t do it justice.

 

Your post brought back some good memories, @Baza. Mr. Sandi and I are riding from Tucson to Las Vegas a week from in two weeks. We've ridden there numerous times and have stopped a couple of times at the Hoover Dam. Yes, it truly is an incredible piece of engineering. And the fact that it was built during the Great Depression in the 1930's makes it even more incredible. Here are a few photos from one of our stops.

That's Mr. Sandi at the far left of the photo standing on the top of the dam. U.S. 93 used to go right along the top of the dam but was rerouted to that relatively new bridge you can see further to the right. When you ride or drive across the bridge, you can't see the dam at all. I'm sure that was done purposely to take the "gawk factor" into account.


This photo gives you a sense of the perspective on the immense size of the dam. Check out the cars and people along the top of the dam especially towards the right and also the cars on the road leading down to the dam.


The U.S. Route 93 bridge over the Colorado River. Riding over this canyon is always super windy.


This next photo is compliments of Wikipedia and shows Lake Mead with the Hoover Dam and the Tillman Memorial Bridge off to the left. I don't know when this photo was taken but the water level is currently well below what is shown here and this is already low. The mega drought in the Southwest is taking a real toll on Lake Mead. Bodies are even starting to turn up (recently one in a barrel) where the lake has dried up.

 

P.S. I forgot to ask you if you know what year that "clunker" was, @Baza. That's a bit older model Fat Boy and I have a 2021 Fat Boy that doesn't clunk or have clutch issues at all. I suspect some of what you experienced could be related to being a rental bike, too.

 

I absolutely agree with @Russell Stroup. The Grand Canyon is spectacular and you truly have to see it in person to believe it. If you get the chance, GO!!!

 

I watched a very interesting documentary recently about the construction of the Hoover and Grand Coulee dams. Both incredible feats of engineering. Many lives were lost during construction in an era when health and safety wasn't as intense as it is today.

 

Yes, the wikipedia article I was looking at last night said that 112 workers died during the construction of the Hoover Dam.

 

Showing my total absence of HD knowledge here. I have no idea as to year and didn’t recall that it was a Fat Boy until you mentioned it. Will search my photos of the event to see if I can find one of the registration plate which may give an indication of age? (Not familiar with your number plate formats). This is the only shot I could find of the number plate.



In a similar shot I have of the water level it appears even lower. (Image size 6.5Mb, too large to upload)

 

Hmmm, well now that bike doesn't look like a Fat Boy or the bike in the first photo you posted, @Baza. Check out the headlight and nacelle on both. And the second bike doesn't have floor boards, a tank bib, or disc/solid wheels, either. Of course, in the first photo I can't tell about the wheels. It's a mystery.

 

Very true what you say about getting into Europe through France from England, especially if you are near the Channel tunnel. When I lived in Winchester, the tunnel was 2 hours ride away. Get an early crossing, say 6.00 am, the crossing itself takes 35 minutes, and you're off!
20 minutes riding will get you into Belgium and by lunchtime you can be in Germany sat by the river Mosel enjoying schnitzel and a beer.

 

I did tell you that my HD knowledge was zero. Here is the full version of that photo with our bikes lined up.

Or is it this one?

 

Hi, @Baza. No worries. This is, after all, a Triumph forum. The second photo is definitely a Fat Boy. Mr. Sandi and I both looked at the other bike and aren't completely certain but think it's an older Sportster model of some sort.

The new Fat Boys are very different bikes that the one you rode. In 2018 Harley completely redesigned the chassis and a much different suspension (mono shock) for all the bikes in the Softail line (of which the Fat Boy is one). They also put the new (as of 2017) Milwaukee 8 engine in all the Softails. That engine was originally put in the touring models in 2017 so it had a year "under its belt" when it went into the Softail family. My Fat Boy is a 2021 and I love it. H-D updated the styling, too. I wasn't keen on the new look initially but it grew on me and now I like it more than the old(er) look.



OK, I'll stop derailing @MPTriumph's thread now.

 

Motorcycle heaven is New Zealand

 

The UK came close, 40 years ago.

 

@Dartplayer, I suspect you would agree??

 

I love riding, but it helps to have a choice of highway or backroads, depending on the mood.
Scenery helps too, and good refreshments.
NZ has good coastal runs and spectacular scenery, but I find good people and relaxed weather make anywhere motorcycle heaven

 

I read a bit about the Hoover dams structural design while at uni. Because of the enormous volume of concrete and it's thickness, some of it deep inside still hasn't fully set. Amazing piece of construction work although the engineering involved a lot of making it big and hoping for the best.