What Have You Being Doing With Your Non-triumph Today?

Today I have managed to make 80 miles out on the beautiful Blade last about 6 hours . I went out fairly early and did a nice, quick 50 miles on a local route I like before going to a local car / bike meet. I am not usually a social butterfly but the sun was shining brightly and there were some interesting people there so I ended up staying for a few hours, had a nice hand made pizza and chatted.

Then I went up the road about 16 miles from the meet to the local bike stop and ended up meeting someone I knew there, so came over all sociable again and sat and had coffee and chatted for a while in the sunshine and rode back together.

Lovely day out and gorgeous weather (back to rain tomorrow ).

The best bit was that there was a bloke who had his DUCK in a carrier on his bike. He let it out to stretch it’s legs at the bike stop, give it a dish of water /some food etc. I have seen dogs on bikes before, but never a duck.

 

80 miles in 6 hours
.... at one time I'd have been disappointed with that even if I was on a pushbike, however, these days if you have the time why not

Enjoy the ride

 

I wasn't in motion for 6 hours . The in motion parts were quick enough, just the sitting in the sunshine drinking brews and wasting time parts that ate up the day . Helmut has been away for a while and it was nice to get out of the house whilst the weather is so good .

 

Umm it appears I may have got my days, weatherwise, the wrong way round. Today was wifey day, going out for lunch etc in the car with a warm pleasant dry day.
Tomorrow is/was going to be a 765 day out.

Checked forecast this afternoon - 1% rain today...... 91% tomorrow

 

Oh......well, there's always this.....

 

Took advantage of the weather and brought the Z out if hibernation for a run to Clethropees for an ice cream. The seafront was very busy and I was lucky to drop straight on a parking space. My Mum and Dad had a static caravan at Humberstone in the 70's. It's barely a mile down the road and I have fond memories of weekends spent walking along the seafront there and riding the miniature railway which still runs today.

 

Nice looking bike

Many years ago I had a string of Kawasaki's and they were good bikes. Fairly recently (last 10 years) I rode a friends ZZR1400 and what an engine that bike had, a proper powerhouse in any gear.

 

I barely use it these days. Apart from the MOT a couple of weeks ago this is it's first outing since last November but when I do ride it it reminds why I could never sell it.
I might do a couple of day trips to Scotland on it again this year. A long day in the saddle but very rewarding.

 

There should be a sad face response emoji for posts like this one, @Eldon. I hope you get the 9% chance that it won't rain.

 

Yesterday I rode El Gordo, my H-D Fat Boy, over to our local dealership to watch the annual Chihuahua Races. It's sponsored by a local country music radio station and hosted by Tucson Harley-Davidson. Plus it's just a good excuse to hope on the bike and go for a ride and the weather was picture perfect There was also supposed to be a women's ride to celebrate International Female Ride Day but no one showed up. @Mrs Visor, I wish I could beam you here to Arizona once in awhile!

Even though our high temperatures have been balmy (in the 80s F), I've already started to be what I call a "shade buzzard". I arrived relatively early and found quite a nice spot this morning.




The number of racing pups was quite small this year compared to last year. But it was as fun--and funny--as ever! I suggested that next year they invite not only chihuahuas but also weiner dogs. Then at the end they could have a match race between breeds.





Check out the pink tutu on the pooch in the left side of the photo.



The overall winner! They won not only the trophy but two tickets to a George Strait concert in Phoenix. I don't know if they'll let the dog in.



While watching the event I ran into two of my riding buddies so after the races ended we wandered into the dealership to look around. And we saw this adorable puppy, Precious. She's 8 weeks old, cute as a button, and quite curious.





When I went back out to the parking lot to ride home I saw my Fat Boy's fraternal twin. Same bike, same year, different color. And, of course, the owner didn't do all the cool things to his or hers that I did to mine.



And when I arrived back home, this gorgeous bloom greeted me. It's about the size of my hand and is on a night blooming cereus cactus in our front yard.

 

The bike's looking great, Sandi - the Fat Boy is growing on me, actually, with that lovely M8 114 motor. How sweet is that Chihuahua racing (my wife is nagging me for one right now)?

 

Thanks for the kind words about the Fat Boy, @learningtofly! I really like that bike. It's such a "muscle cruiser". It's comfortable and feels like a freight train. But in a good way. The power is rather deceptive and the bike can fly when it wants to--well, when I want it to. I'm glad I bought it and don't regret trading the Low Rider S for it.

The Chihuahuas were super cute and very sweet. And amazingly only one of them was yappy! Has your wife had one of these little guys before? I don't know much about the breed but there are LOTS of them in Tucson. We see bunches of them when we're out walking Ellie on the walking path by our house.

 

@Sandi T maybe we'll make it over to Arizona at some point, I'd love to see the landscape and cactus forests and soak up some of that heat!! It would be brilliant to ride together (I'd have to hire a Harley I reckon.....).

What a shame no one showed up for the women's ride; there were a few I saw advertised on this side of the pond for Saturday. I have actually never been on a big organised group ride. Firstly I would describe myself as "selectively sociable" and secondly some of the riding I see on the roads scares me witless and I don't want to be caught up in someone else's accident (not that I am great, but I am not an idiot either ). A case in point is someone that I met yesterday who knew the man I was talking to - he arrived announcing that he had no rear brake as something had happened but he wasn't bothered, then went on to say that some bikes had just passed him and he had tried his best to keep up but they were just too fast. His words were "I am too thick, my brain just doesn't work fast enough to ride a bike".

That cactus flower is beautiful .

 

Early morning wash and chain cleaning on these beauties.

 

Nice bikes, but some very tidy brickwork there

 

Nice pair there mate.

 

Seeing the black and white pup reminded me of this photo.

 

@Sandi T: Thanks for the 2nd Chihuahua report. Last year I had to pleasure the read your 1st report. The actual is great again! I love the Puppy !

 

Went down to Daventry to see how the 400/4was progressing. Hopefully it will be back with me in Scotland early June.
Got home at 9pm, 12 hrs driving shattered me,

 

I commuted on the Blade yesterday and today; swapped the garage about when I got home to make sure the Street Triple has it's turn for the next few trips!