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

Nice @Sandi T
What's the car, looks well?

 

Thanks, @learningtofly! I'm biased but I think my Street Glide Special is gorgeous, too. In addition to the bars, levers, and seat, I replaced my stock rear shocks with a set from Legend suspension. I was able to get springs with a weight that is good for my weight and it has made so much difference!

At this point my Street Glide is like Baby Bear's porridge for me....not too hot, not too cold, but just right. I was so darned happy to be back out on it this past weekend and I felt absolutely terrific riding it! I thought I might feel nervous or rusty but that wasn't the case. Contrary to what some might think, that big bike handles beautifully and is incredibly well balanced. And it feels even more so now that the bars are a good fit for me.

My hand is not yet fully recovered but it's getting stronger and less sore each day. And I'm getting back most of the sensation I had lost in my fingers. Last Friday I rode my Fat Boy over to Tucson H-D because the demo truck was in town. I just looooove test riding bikes! I rode four of the 2023's: Sportster S, Low Rider ST, Heritage Classic, and Road King Special. Between those test rides and riding my Fat Boy to and from the dealership, my hand was pretty much shot by the time I got home. But riding seems to be good as physical therapy (now that I can at least pull in the clutch!) and is certainly an enjoyable form of it. The Oberon levers I put on my Street Glide are definitely more manageable than the stock Fat Boy levers.

 

That car is my 2019 Mustang Bullitt, @Eldon. It has a 5.0 liter V8 engine and a six-speed manual transmission. And it brings a smile to my face EVERY time I drive it...even if just to the grocery store! I posted a thread about it when I first bought it. Here's the link if you're interested in a few more photos and reading about the "unique" way I wound up with this car. It is far and away the coolest and most special car I've ever owned.

https://www.thetriumphforum.com/threads/my-new-therapy-animal-is-a-black-mustang.22671/

 

Oooh, how did you find tne Low Rider ST? I have my eye on that one and can see it in my future.

 

It was SUPER fun to ride! That 117ci engine is sweet. The suspension is excellent and the bike handles great--tight, quick, immediate response. The fairing works well to deflect and protect. But it's sort of weird to have a fairing with absolutely nothing in it except black plastic as someone who comes from riding a Road Glide Special then a Street Glide Special.

My least favorite thing is the foot peg placement and where they put your knees (mine anyway). Even though the bike is designed to ride aggressively, the position is too extreme for me. I talked with others who rode it and they all said the same thing. If the pegs could be lowered even an inch (maybe two), I'd think hard about getting this bike myself. Compared to the 2020 Low Rider S I had and traded for my Fat Boy, the engine is a bit bigger and it sounds and feels different (even better) in the '23 ST version. The suspension is noticeably better, too, particularly for this style of bike. My understanding is that Harley put the taller Softail mono shock suspension in the ST whereas my '20 S had the shorter version. If you ever get the chance to do a test ride or can set one up, I highly recommend you ride the beast, @learningtofly!

 

Thank you, Sandi!

 

I always think the colour of that bike is lovely @Sandi T - I hope the ride was comfortable after your surgery, it must have been lovely to be back on the Street Glide.

 

Thanks, @Mrs Visor! I think the color of my Street Glide is my favorite motorcycle color of any I've owned. The ride was very comfortable after my surgery although my hand has a bit to go before being back to normal. It was exceedingly lovely to be back on the Street Glide! Sometimes when I'm off a particular bike for awhile I almost forget how much I like it. Almost....

 

A little practical personalisation makes a big difference to how it suits the individual and makes it a far nicer experience.

Quite a few years ago, when my youngest started riding his Beta 50 (so about 9 yrs old), I noted he struggled with the span and strength of his hand for the clutch. We had a selection of broken levers so we remodelled a few bits and tig welded them together to create a bespoke item. This allowed the biting point to be at the right span distance (hand strength strong point) whilst fully clearing the gears for an easy neutral.
A little clutch adjustment may just make the difference between pain and pleasure and may allow you out for longer in comfort. It's certainly worth a few minutes consideration

 

Umm very nice.
The equestrian centre where my youngest works has an original (late 1960s possibly) Bullitt with a lovely sounding v8 in it.
I'll see if I can get a picture and more details.

 

Oooh, yes! Please post a photo and details if you can, @Eldon. I'd love to see that Mustang.

 

Apparently @Sandi T the car is not a Bullitt but a "S code fastback" if that means anything from 1968, certainly sounds nice and is in very good condition.

 

God, that’s a thing of beauty.

 

Thanks for the photo and info, @Eldon! That's a great looking old Mustang. I saw one that looked pretty much just like this one the other day when I was riding. My understanding is that Ford had a few runs of a Bullitt version but they were more recent: 2001, 2008, and then my 2019 and also 2020. From what I've been reading about Ford, it sounds like 2024 may be the last year that they make an ICE Mustang. Have you seen the new electric "Mustang"?! Sheesh...it's more like an SUV.

 

Many muscle cars from the 60's and early 70's command big prices these days, especially icons like the Mustang and the Dodge Charger. There's a very nice 289 fastback Mustang I occasionally see near us in the Summer months and it looks mint and sounds great. The only thing that's put me off buying one is the LHD issue although I think you can get them converted to RHD if you have deep enough pockets. Back in the 80's I had the chance to buy a Plymouth Barracuda with the 440 engine, at a fraction of the price it would probably fetch today but decided against it and bought a XJ12 instead.
With money no object, there'd be a Cobra 427SC in the garage, no question.

 

For some dumb reason I never really appreciated cars until I started riding motorcycles . Now, although I know precious little about cars, I enjoying learning and looking. There's a big car auction each year up in Phoenix called Barrett-Jackson and we'd like to get it on our calendar next year. I had to look up that Cobra 427SC. Wowzer! It's gorgeous, @Pegscraper! I can see why you'd put one of those babies in your garage. I'd put one of those in my garage, too, if money was no object.

 

You can get a brand new "continuation" Cobra, built to, more or less, original spec with the Ford 427 FE engine and with a choice of other engines if required. I think they're around the £120-130k mark. As for an original, 1966 factory 427SC, there were only 31 made and they fetch well over £1 million, if you can find one for sale. It was the fastest accelerating production car in the World at the time with a soundtrack to die for!

 

Time to play the lottery.

 

Hopefully, today was the last journey to the office at temperatures below 0 degrees. If the weather forecast is correct, spring is really coming. So it will finally be warmer in the morning. It is indeed wonderful to start the day with a sunrise on the highway on the bike, but it must not be permanently so hypothermic.

 

Here's hoping it warms up for the sake of your fingers!!