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

Nitron R1 shock fitted to my 2016 GSF1250s. Also, forks rebuilt using T-Tech internals. A vast improvement over the standard setup.

 

Terrific ride report and photos, @Octoberon! It looks like you and Rachel had a wonderful day. I'd be interested to hear more from her about her thoughts on the Sportster S. The looks of it just don't do it for me but I'd sure love to test ride one to see how it feels.

 

I rode El Gordo Sunday morning after a week of scuba diving in Mexico (Cozumel). I went from this view on Saturday morning.....


To this view exactly 24 hours later! The miracle of air travel.


We arrived home at 9:00pm on Saturday, greeted Ellie, the Boxer, and our dog sitter, hit the sack, and I was on my bike at 9:00am. Mr. Sandi politely declined to join me.


But I was joined by four of my ride buddies and we rode over Gates Pass to one of our Sunday morning standbys, Coyote Pause.

After a week of Mexican pastries and tropical fruit for breakfast, I went with my usual meal at this place, the "Southwest Scramble" with (yes) fruit and a biscuit with honey. Delicious as usual! Isn't is great that we get to eat every single day?


The wildflowers have started blooming and there were lots of them in the courtyard this morning.


Although it's difficult for me to tear myself away from the ocean and from diving, it felt good to be back on a bike. Underwater on scuba and in the saddle of a motorcycle are two of my favorite places to be.


This little guy greeted me when I returned home. This is the spot where I typically put my helmet while getting stuff out of my swing arm bag, saddlebags, etc. I took lots of photos of him and many from very close quarters. He didn't bat an eye or budge an inch.

 

Thanks, Sandi. I’ll ask her for thoughts on the Sportster and let you know.

I’ve heard that the new Sportster has divided opinion somewhat among the Harley fraternity. I can see why, particularly for those who didn’t want to old Sportster to change. I quite like it, although I’m slightly put off by the drainpipes they put on as exhausts. Might take a test ride myself this weekend. The weather is nice here and we’re looking for an excuse to go out on Saturday.

 

Hope you had a great holiday @Sandi T, we had a week of diving in Cozumel too - some really lovely dives to be had for sure.

 

Mr. Sandi and I really love Cozumel all the way around. We primarily go there to dive but the place and the people (and the food!) have won our hearts. I took Mr. Sandi there to do his open water checkout dives back when he got certified around 2009-2010. We dove with one of the companies with a "six-pack" boat. It was just the boat captain, the instructor (with whom I'd dove many times previously before Mr. Sandi and I were a couple), Mr. Sandi, and me. It was a great way for him to relax and finish off his certification.

Are there any particular dive sites or restaurants or dive operators or sights that are favorites of you and Helmut? I'll probably do a thread about our trip later this week (even though this is a motorcycle forum). I think one or two of the restaurants we ate at this week merit inclusion on @October's map!

 

I'm with you about that "drainpipe" exhaust! To my eye the whole bike looks a bit "parts bin". But as I mentioned, I'd definitely test ride one and reserve my overall judgment for that. Perhaps form really does follow function. Hope you get to test ride one and I'll look forward to hearing your thoughts on the new Sportster, Saul.

 

I'll have to dig out my dive log @Sandi to recall which my favourites were, it was quite some time ago when we used to live in Belize! I just remember plenty of warm, clear dives with lots of sea life and a pretty good night dive, again with plenty to see.

 

Grabbed an after work spin in the sun

 

put a set of Pirelli Diablo Rosso Corsa II's on my Ducati 950 S. They are very similar to the Metzeler Racetec RR K3's that came on my TFC . Smooth riding, very grippy and decent in the rain.

 

My son gave us a murder mystery night in a Hotel in Crianlarich for his mums big birthday which was a few months ago, he paid for 2 nights Sat & Sun as it only cost him an extra £20 for the extra night. we took the bike as the forecast was for sunshine all weekend. Crianlarich is only 65 miles from us so it didn't take long, we stopped of at Taynuilt for a couple of photos on the pier





View of the bike outside the Hotel in Crainlarich from our bedroom window.


The murder mystery lasted about 3 hours but that included a 3 course meal, we didn't figure out the murderer the next day we had a lovely run to Oban for a walk about then headed back up across the Connel bridge and stopped off for coffee and cake


There is a lovely view of Castle Stalker (Monty Python and the Holy Grail) from there


We then stopped off at Glen Coe visitor centre, although I've passed it loads of times I've never stopped to have a look, after spending a while in the centre we took a short forest trail, took us about 30 mins

As it was such a lovely day we stopped of several times in Glencoe, coffee at the Clachaig Inn then a few photo stops, then stopped again at the Kings house Hotel near the ski centre and sat in the sun for a while.
parked on the wooden bridge (this is a popular photo stop for bikers)
the bridge leads you to this solitary house in the below picture




One of our stops to take in the views

 

Bonnie Scotland! Can't wait to get up there on the Z this Summer.

 

You've lost the lockdown beard

 

Yet more brilliant pictures.

 

What a fun way to travel to and from the murder mystery night, Dougie! Gorgeous pictures, as usual!

 

Wouldn't have been near as much fun if we had to take the car!

 

When I first started riding pillion with Mr. Sandi, he said that one of his riding-related mottos was "Even just going to get a cheeseburger is an adventure if you do it on a motorcycle!" I concur. Glad you had a fun weekend and good weather to boot!

 

Trip through the Blackdown Hills in Devon to Cheddar Gorge in Somerset. Good practice for my Picos trip in two weeks time!

 

How true that is Sandi. Very wise words. Its never the destination on a bike, always the journey. Great pics Dougie. You are blessed to have such great riding roads and scenery in easy reach

 

All those brilliant twisty roads in the Picos will be even more brilliant on the GS . I'd love to go back there, I'm sure you will have a lot of fun,remember and post pics