Shotgun Approach For Advice!

[SarahP]

Folks,

(WARNING: huge Wall of Text to follow. My apologies.)

(Being new, I didn't know if my post should go in this Forum or under Riding Gear & Equipment -- so Mods, if you relocate it, I'll understand!)

I have a ton of questions for you experienced Triumph riders, and Bonnie owners in particular. If you want to chime in on any or all of these questions, I would sure appreciate it.

Let me preface this by saying that I'm trying to keep this from being a take-take-take scenario. But I'm on the far side of 55, I had two very serious health scares last year (everything is fine now!), and I really do feel the pressure to get this show on the road! I've waited 44 years to learn to ride, and I am totally nuts about it. So rather than my trying to reinvent the wheel (which takes time that I may not have) through trial and error, I am hoping you all might share your experiences and suggestions about gear, mods, etc., if you feel OK doing that.

My goal this year is to get comfortable enough on my just-purchased 2013 Bonnie to do a New Mexico road trip in September 2016. I would rent a Bonnie in Albuquerque and then do about a week's ride in the state. (Or maybe ship my bike out there?)

I'm planning on doing at least 5 trips locally, trying to increase my seat endurance time, and to make sure that I'm somewhat proficient on the bike. I'm a new rider, with 5 months and 2000 miles under my belt.

While it's still cool/winter weather (I live in Northern Virginia), I plan on hitting the parking lot and doing slow speed MSF-type drills. I did/do that on my little Honda bike, doing U-turns, weaves, stops, etc., and that practice has served me well.

Now, on to the gear questions:

(1) Windshield - I think this is pretty important for longer road trips. I don't have one on the Honda, and I feel as though I've been beaten up when I finish 100 miles. Is the short Triumph flyscreen fine or should I look for an after-market off-brand?

(2) Rear luggage rack and sissy bar - Renntec? I have the Triumph wax cotton saddlebags but definitely need more storage for my blow dryer, curling iron, panini maker, and Keurig on those long road trips. Seriously, I'd like to have a rear storage and maybe a sissy bar to stack some stuff up against. (I'm not going to be riding 2-up at all.) Any suggestions?

(2A) Tank bag -- Amazon has a very affordable one: what do you think about it?

(3) Security - Disc lock? Alarmed cover? Beat-up cover with duct tape on it? Cujo? I'm weak on this area. How do you keep your bike from being stolen when you overnight at a hotel?

(4) What do *you* think is really important for a touring ride? How many miles do you average each day, generally? I'm planning 5 'training' rides before teh New Mexico trip. The rides will be mostly in Virginia, ranging from Colonial Parkway near Willamsburg (about 240 miles round trip), 3 or 4 rides up into the Blue Ridge/Skyline Drive, and a bigger trip of 760 miles round trip (a visit to my sister in Charlotte NC). Of course, I ride locally almost every day when I'm home.

The longest ride I've done so far was 200 miles round trip on the Honda CRF230M, that dual-sports 234cc bike. No windshield, seat like a wood plank, top speed *maybe* 65 mph with the throttle full open. I felt as though I'd done 12 rounds in a boxing ring when I got home that evening! I loved it, but some creature comforts would have helped the ride.

OK, I told you this would be a Wall of Text. Again, any advice would be greatly appreciated. I have very thick skin, so if you see a glaring lapse in logic, let me know, please!

TIA!!

 

[Rocky]

I'll take a crack at the items you asked about, but I haven't done any extensive touring on my Bonneville - just 200-300 mile day rides.
Windshield:
This is very hard to recommend because there are so many options and much depends on your size and how you sit on the bike.
I started off with a Triumph summer screen, but right away the helmet buffeting annoyed me. I put up with it for a few years, but in the end decided to go with a Givi fly screen. It's very small compared to the Triumph screen, but it's surprising how well it works. It takes the wind blast off your chest, but doesn't help much in a rain storm.
National Cycle also produce a series of screens that could be what you're looking for.
Luggage rack:
A rear luggage rack like the Renntec is a very good option, and although I don't have one now, I have used Renntec products on other bikes. I have a set of their crash bars on my Honda CB900F.
Having a rack you can attach a tail bag to is very handy for day trips. A tail bag you can lash to the passenger seat is also handy for an extended trip.
Tank bag:
That Amazon bag looks good. I have several magnetic tank bags and use them frequently. Make sure your paint is clean and there are no foreign metal objects stuck to the magnets. You don't want to mar that beautiful paint. You might look into some sort of clear, removable plastic protection for your gas tank to prevent scuffing when you use a tank bag. I haven't done that, but I'm a fanatic about keeping the paint and underside of the bag very clean. So far, so good.
Since the bag is magnetic I always use the tether strap as the wind blast from an 18-wheeler on a two-lane road nearly blew one of the bags off the bike one time. If I hadn't grabbed it the bag would have bit the dust with my expensive camera in it!! That's when I started using the tether strap.
Security:
Bike theft around here isn't a problem, but I use an alarmed disc lock and a security cable through the wheels and frame anyway. I cover the bike at night with a light bike cover.
Out of sight; out of mind maybe.(??) See if you can park in a well lighted area.
But if bike thieves want your bike they will take it.

BTW, I've vacationed in Virginia and area and there are some wonderful riding areas down your way. I've been to all those great places you mentioned.
You might also like to know that I turned 78 last year so don't let a little gray hair slow you down. It certainly isn't slowing me down.
I can easily ride 200-300 miles a day and not feel the least bit beat up.

Taking local rides and getting in a lot of seat time will teach you a lot and you will learn what you like and don't like.
What may work for us may not work all that well for you so it's a bit of a learning curve and going through different aftermarket items to find what you like.

If you had lots of time I would ride to New Mexico, but renting a bike there may be the best option - but it wouldn't be fitted out with options like your bike at home.
I tip my helmet to you for taking up the sport later in life.
I had bikes as a teenager and didn't come back to bikes until I was 55 in 1992 so it's never too late to have fun and I hope you will have as much fun as I have in the past 23 years.
I've ridden all over eastern Canada and the northeast US; spent three weeks in the deserts and mountains of South America; 12 days in the Canadian Rocky Mountains and loved every minute of it.
I hope all of this helps some and I hope others will jump in too.

 

[SarahP]

Rocky --


{{{{(Snipped post by OP}}}

Windshield: ...but in the end decided to go with a Givi fly screen.

Luggage rack: ....A rear luggage rack like the Renntec is a very good option, Having a rack you can attach a tail bag to is very handy for day trips. A tail bag you can lash to the passenger seat is also handy for an extended trip.

Tank bag: That Amazon bag looks good. You might look into some sort of clear, removable plastic protection for your gas tank to prevent scuffing when you use a tank bag.

Security: ... but I use an alarmed disc lock and a security cable through the wheels and frame anyway. I cover the bike at night with a light bike cover.

You might also like to know that I turned 78 last year so don't let a little gray hair slow you down. It certainly isn't slowing me down. I can easily ride 200-300 miles a day and not feel the least bit beat up.

If you had lots of time I would ride to New Mexico, but renting a bike there may be the best option - but it wouldn't be fitted out with options like your bike at home.

I've ridden all over eastern Canada and the northeast US; spent three weeks in the deserts and mountains of South America; 12 days in the Canadian Rocky Mountains and loved every minute of it.

************************************************************************************************
What a great post! I love that you've been around the block a few times and are still riding. I'm particularly interested in your South American travels. Do you have an online blog about it, or would you care to share? How did you get your bike there -- or did you fly/rent one? Solo travel or was it a guided tour? Biggest surprise during the trip? Boy, you have some serious bragging rights!

Thanks for the recommendations. I'm going to take a serious look at the Givi flyscreen because I've heard a lot of good comments about the company. If it doesn't work for me, I can always sell it to recoup some of the money, and then try a different one. I want to research the luggage rack a little more. Good to know Renntec seems like a solid choice, though.

I'm going to pull the trigger today on that Amazon bag. And great suggestion about using some soft, clear plastic under the magnetic bag to avoid the scuffing. That purple paint on my bike is pristine right now. I'd like to keep it fairly decent for a while!

And gee, I forgot about crash bars. I know some purists don't want them because they mar the clean look of the bike, but I'm more concerned about the accidental drop that will undoubtedly happen to me at some point. Frame sliders might be an option for me, too....

I ran some numbers on the VA-NM ride -- it would be about 4000 miles each way, not including the touring once in NM itself. Averaging 400 miles a day (which seems a bit high for a bike?), that's 10 days just for transit and doesn't include a day or two off enroute and the NM touring. I'm fairly intimidated right now (being a new rider) at the thought of a solid 16-20 days on the road. Hell of a trip, though.

Thanks for your excellent post! It was very helpful and encouraging!

 

[Rocky]

Although I don't have a set on my T100, Renntec have some nice crash bars and worth checking out.
My problem with sliders is that they might snap off and take a piece of the frame with them - but that's just me.

The ride to NM is longer than I thought. I'm sure the bike can easily handle it, but is the body up to it
Probbaly better to fly and rent.

As I mentioned, National Cycle have some nice reasonably priced screens too so check them out online.
That has always been my philosophy; buy, try and sell if you don't like it.

I don't have a blog about my trip to SA, but there is a series of pictures here on TT if you scrounge around in the albums for them.
We (2) flew to Santiago, Chile and met the tour and bikes down there - BMW GS650's - ending up in Peru.
It was on a guided tour with four Belgians and three Americans. What a great group of people!!
There were seven bikes so at first we called ourselves "the Magnificant Seven", but later changed that to "The Wild Llamas"
Here's a picture of us in the middle of the Atacama Desert. I'm in the red jacket - 70 years-old and having the time of my life!!

 

[DaveH]

Wow - lots of respect to you, Nancy. When we buy a new (to us) motorcycle, we pop into town and have our seats magically re-covered by Dave Harding. We are then on the way to 300 mile days! We stayed in Flagstaff, and rode to Grand Canyon, on the R1100RT. Linda had left some clothes at the hotel, so we returned to FS - a 600 mile day. The Tiger had a large Givi screen, SW hand protectors, crash bars, lowered rear suspension and a Givi top box. We had a radiator protector, heated grips, Givi panniers & tank bag and a Scottoiler (automatic chain oiler) fitted by the dealer. We carry (in the bottom of the tank bag) an Oxford Monster 1.5 metre chain and padlock, to attach it to something that doesn't move - most times, in Europe, we will be offered a free garage or secure parking space. In the US, we parked outside our motel room or chained several bikes together. We are in our mid 60s, so limit ourselves to 250 mile days, now - leisurely breakfast, mid morning snack, leisurely lunch, mid afternoon snack and look for a hotel/motel around 4.00pm. This gives us time for a stroll around town/village before our evening meal. Linda cannot sit for more than 1.5 hours at a time, on the pillion, so a modest pace suits us (60 mph on A roads and 75 to 85 mph on the Autobahn.) Fully laden, the Tiger is a bit top heavy, but we managed Vienna & Budapest in 2014 (a 23 day trip with 4 nights in Vienna and 4 nights in Budapest) and are planning Salzburg this year. You would be ok with a large stuffbag on the pillion seat, a magnetic tank bag and throw over panniers (watch that your panniers don't touch the hot silencers, especially if they are plastic!) As for riding to NM, or hiring a bike, that is a personal decision - lots of pros and cons for each, as Rocky advises. If you "fly drive", you could take your tankbag and stuffbag (maybe soft panniers) and leave your suitcase/travel bag at the hire place. It would probably be too warm for a large screen (behind the screen on the R1100RT was a bit warm between Palm Springs and Gallup.) Best wishes on your trip - planning is half the fun, and meeting other interesting travellers, is the other half. I have been riding motorcycles since my 16th birthday, so have learnt a lot (mostly through mistakes) as no-one gets it right all the time - our first EU trip, to Spain, included a toolkit, set of spare bowden cables, quart of engine oil, spare spark plugs, can of chain oil, foot pump, insulating tape, tie-wraps, tie downs (for the ferry crossing,) bungee cords and jubilee clips, as well as a set of spare bulbs, tubeless tyre repair kit and first aid kit.

 

[keystiger]

What a great post! I love that you've been around the block a few times and are still riding.

"Around the block?????" Rocky was there when God was CREATING the dirt to MAKE the concrete for THE BLOCK lol

Just kidding Rocky --much respect Sir!!!

And I agree with whats been said here. Wind protection......luggage and SEAT are the most important.

Rear luggage rack and sissy bar - Renntec? I have the Triumph wax cotton saddlebags but definitely need more storage for my blow dryer, curling iron, panini maker, and Keurig on those long road trips. Seriously, I'd like to have a rear storage and maybe a sissy bar to stack some stuff up against. (I'm not going to be riding 2-up at all.) Any suggestions?

Have you considered a Side Car?????? JUST kidding!!!!! panniers would be good but I do not know the budget. Detachable hard bags are a God Send IMHO.


Disc lock, and a good old fashioned chain and master lock......plus always locking the steering column this will confuse/deter or slow down most wood be thieves....but it will not stop a sasquatch from messing with your kill switch now WILL IT Hemi?!?!?!?!

Sarah I think this trip you have planned is awesome ....to bad you will not be near the Swamps of Florida perhaps next trip

 

[SarahP]

Wow - lots of respect to you, Nancy. When we buy a new (to us) motorcycle, we pop into town and have our seats magically re-covered by Dave Harding. We are then on the way to 300 mile days! We stayed in Flagstaff, and rode to Grand Canyon, on the R1100RT. Linda had left some clothes at the hotel, so we returned to FS - a 600 mile day. The Tiger had a large Givi screen, SW hand protectors, crash bars, lowered rear suspension and a Givi top box. We had a radiator protector, heated grips, Givi panniers & tank bag and a Scottoiler (automatic chain oiler) fitted by the dealer. We carry (in the bottom of the tank bag) an Oxford Monster 1.5 metre chain and padlock, to attach it to something that doesn't move - most times, in Europe, we will be offered a free garage or secure parking space. In the US, we parked outside our motel room or chained several bikes together. We are in our mid 60s, so limit ourselves to 250 mile days, now - leisurely breakfast, mid morning snack, leisurely lunch, mid afternoon snack and look for a hotel/motel around 4.00pm. This gives us time for a stroll around town/village before our evening meal. Linda cannot sit for more than 1.5 hours at a time, on the pillion, so a modest pace suits us (60 mph on A roads and 75 to 85 mph on the Autobahn.) Fully laden, the Tiger is a bit top heavy, but we managed Vienna & Budapest in 2014 (a 23 day trip with 4 nights in Vienna and 4 nights in Budapest) and are planning Salzburg this year. You would be ok with a large stuffbag on the pillion seat, a magnetic tank bag and throw over panniers (watch that your panniers don't touch the hot silencers, especially if they are plastic!) As for riding to NM, or hiring a bike, that is a personal decision - lots of pros and cons for each, as Rocky advises. If you "fly drive", you could take your tankbag and stuffbag (maybe soft panniers) and leave your suitcase/travel bag at the hire place. It would probably be too warm for a large screen (behind the screen on the R1100RT was a bit warm between Palm Springs and Gallup.) Best wishes on your trip - planning is half the fun, and meeting other interesting travellers, is the other half. I have been riding motorcycles since my 16th birthday, so have learnt a lot (mostly through mistakes) as no-one gets it right all the time - our first EU trip, to Spain, included a toolkit, set of spare bowden cables, quart of engine oil, spare spark plugs, can of chain oil, foot pump, insulating tape, tie-wraps, tie downs (for the ferry crossing,) bungee cords and jubilee clips, as well as a set of spare bulbs, tubeless tyre repair kit and first aid kit.

******************************************************************************************************
DaveH, I'm a bit confused here --- on your trip out of Flagstaff, did you rent your bikes?? You're Welsh? (edit after I posted - well, duh I just saw your Weslh flag! !) Dave Harding is in Wales, right? (I'm not that smart, I had to Google him. I was hoping he might be in London because I travel there a lot.) You've got some amazing rides under your belts -- thanks for the rundown on your equipment. Also, I never considered that a windscreen/windshield might actually make it too hot, especially in the desert southwest of the US. Good point!

Wow, a 600-mile day on bikes. I'm whipped after doing that in my Toyota minivan.

Although I'd like to be a studly biker chick and do a 4000 mile journey solo, I think I'd be better off doing the fly/rent for this first long haul trip. Just doing the NM mountain ride by myself will be a big step. You're right, it would be easy enough to ship some supplies out there and pick them up. Tank bag, clothes, tools, etc....easy peasy to ship to a UPS store and then retrieve them

I need to learn how to do some basic repairs on the bike! I don't even know how to change the tire...or tubes...tube...whatever it is underneath my purple front and rear fender. LMAO.

Thanks for your post!

 

[SarahP]

"Around the block?????" Rocky was there when God was CREATING the dirt to MAKE the concrete for THE BLOCK lol

Just kidding Rocky --much respect Sir!!!

And I agree with whats been said here. Wind protection......luggage and SEAT are the most important.




Have you considered a Side Car?????? JUST kidding!!!!! panniers would be good but I do not know the budget. Detachable hard bags are a God Send IMHO.


Disc lock, and a good old fashioned chain and master lock......plus always locking the steering column this will confuse/deter or slow down most wood be thieves....but it will not stop a sasquatch from messing with your kill switch now WILL IT Hemi?!?!?!?!

Sarah I think this trip you have planned is awesome ....to bad you will not be near the Swamps of Florida perhaps next trip

******************************************************************************8
Hey Keystiger, Yeah, I feel as though I need a sidecar, plus a trailer to pull behind the bike, plus a chase car to bring all my other stuff! would y'all thinkl less of me if I had all that? LOL

I'll get a disc lock and a regular chain lock, then....also, the Sasquatch story from Hemi sounds intriguing.

Insofar as the Florida swamps go, I'm planning a ride down there at the start of t he next winter season. You're lucky to live where you can ride all year. Oooh, and don't forget your jacket liner and heated gloves when the temp plummets to 68*!

(Jealous, that's me!)

 

[keystiger]

HEY HEY its was 39 here this morning !!!! ( I ALMOST DIED!) THe fun is coming down and riding in August---98 degrees with 98% humidity .......oh yeah

Chase car---now THATS a groovy idea!

YOu will certainly have to alert the Florida TT Mafia when you are going to be in the HOOD of Redneckistan We offer guarded tours of the swamps....trailers....BBQ joints and gun shows.....if you wanna go as far as Miami ---bring a passport and git yer shots that a a WHOLE other country lol
But LOTS of FUN!

 

[hemibee]

I'll get a disc lock and a regular chain lock, then....also, the Sasquatch story from Hemi sounds intriguing.

The big hairy feller was a little ticked off at me at TRAMP 2014. It all started when a couple other Tiger riders forced me to drink a few adult beverages. I had parked my bike at the motel and walked up the mountain to the chalet the park made Dan rent for the event. After I had kept the others away from the beer cooler, oops I mean after they forced me to drink some adult beverages, I had to walk back to the motel and it was all up hill. Seems they moved the motel while I was slumming in the chalet and it was up hill both ways.

On my walk back to the motel Sasquatch jumped off a ledge and landed on top of me and the fight was on. I got the best of him with a well placed kick and didn't see him again the rest of the walk back.

The next morning after our breakfast and my run in with Hemibee's Housekeeping Harem, Keys decided it was time to leave and his Tiger would not start. Try as we might, GG would not fire up. After getting the park maintenance crew to show up with a set of jumper cables so we could jump her off, I noticed the kill switch was in the off position. I figure it had to have been the Big Guy that hit the switch as payback from our fight.

 

[keystiger]

I KNEW IT! ----I FRIGGIN KNEW IT!

 

[triumph david]

Nancy by all means get a set of crash bars, i have heard that saran wrap between the tank and tank bag will help prevent scratches but never tried it, and you will need a camera to send us pictures! And if you can make to New Mexico you will love it out there!

 

[DaveH]

Yes, Nancy, we live in South East Wales, between Cardiff and both Severn Bridges. Dave is just up the road - contact him as he has a stall at a load of bike meets around England and Wales. His turnaround time is only 3 to 4 weeks and he can sort any bike seat. If he has spares he can do you a swap, as he buys seats off the internet to refurbish and take to the meets.
We shipped the bikes out from Tilbury Docks, in containers - in 2001 they went to Newark NJ and then to LA by truck, and in 2002 they went through the Panama Canal to San Francisco. We were in Palm Springs on 9/11, saw the second Tower collapse whilst we were getting ready to go to breakfast. We were just numbed by the whole event - we could understand the anger and grief, as the UK had suffered IRA bombings and shootings from the 1960s onwards, until the Peace Talks, under Tony Blair.
I don't think that you need much techy knowledge, just good breakdown cover and a tubeless tyre repair kit (CO2 cylinders, glue, rubber bung and tool to put it through the hole.) Let someone else remove the wheel(s) as the various nuts and bolts will probably need to be tightened to specific torque settings, using the correct torque wrench.
I was in Virginia, in 1976, and stayed in Yorktown (friend was a Park Ranger) and visited Williamsburg, before taking the Greyhound to Sarasota. Hitching from New Orleans to Los Angeles, Las Vegas and back to Pensacola was an experience and have memories that I cherish (Cajun people, the Marlboro Man, Grand Canyon and the Painted Desert with no Park entrance fees or tourists & Route 66 before most of it became abandoned.)

 

[SarahP]

Yes, Nancy, we live in South East Wales, between Cardiff and both Severn Bridges. Dave is just up the road - contact him as he has a stall at a load of bike meets around England and Wales. His turnaround time is only 3 to 4 weeks and he can sort any bike seat. If he has spares he can do you a swap, as he buys seats off the internet to refurbish and take to the meets.
We shipped the bikes out from Tilbury Docks, in containers - in 2001 they went to Newark NJ and then to LA by truck, and in 2002 they went through the Panama Canal to San Francisco. We were in Palm Springs on 9/11, saw the second Tower collapse whilst we were getting ready to go to breakfast. We were just numbed by the whole event - we could understand the anger and grief, as the UK had suffered IRA bombings and shootings from the 1960s onwards, until the Peace Talks, under Tony Blair.
I don't think that you need much techy knowledge, just good breakdown cover and a tubeless tyre repair kit (CO2 cylinders, glue, rubber bung and tool to put it through the hole.) Let someone else remove the wheel(s) as the various nuts and bolts will probably need to be tightened to specific torque settings, using the correct torque wrench.
I was in Virginia, in 1976, and stayed in Yorktown (friend was a Park Ranger) and visited Williamsburg, before taking the Greyhound to Sarasota. Hitching from New Orleans to Los Angeles, Las Vegas and back to Pensacola was an experience and have memories that I cherish (Cajun people, the Marlboro Man, Grand Canyon and the Painted Desert with no Park entrance fees or tourists & Route 66 before most of it became abandoned.)

********************************************************************************************
DaveH, now I understand your logistics. How anxious were you when they were uncrating your babies after being transported?

Wow, that's a lot of US travel time. You have a lifetime of memories there, especially since, as you say, there were so few tourists back then compared to now.

I'll add the repair kit to my ever-growing list of things I need/want to buy for the Bonnie.

Thanks for the info!

 

[SarahP]

The big hairy feller was a little ticked off at me at TRAMP 2014. It all started when a couple other Tiger riders forced me to drink a few adult beverages. I had parked my bike at the motel and walked up the mountain to the chalet the park made Dan rent for the event. After I had kept the others away from the beer cooler, oops I mean after they forced me to drink some adult beverages, I had to walk back to the motel and it was all up hill. Seems they moved the motel while I was slumming in the chalet and it was up hill both ways.

On my walk back to the motel Sasquatch jumped off a ledge and landed on top of me and the fight was on. I got the best of him with a well placed kick and didn't see him again the rest of the walk back.

The next morning after our breakfast and my run in with Hemibee's Housekeeping Harem, Keys decided it was time to leave and his Tiger would not start. Try as we might, GG would not fire up. After getting the park maintenance crew to show up with a set of jumper cables so we could jump her off, I noticed the kill switch was in the off position. I figure it had to have been the Big Guy that hit the switch as payback from our fight.

****************************************************************
On my walk back to the motel Sasquatch jumped off a ledge and landed on top of me and the fight was on

Yah, well, I'm still a newbie, so I think I'd better bow out of this conversation. I Googled 'TRAMP 2014,' but all I found was some sort of Japanese cos-play videos ?! And after reading your post, I don't know whether to congratulate you, commiserate with you, or have you report for a drug screening test.

 

[Rocky]

You will learn very quickly that we have some characters here - and a better humourous bunch there isn't.

 

[hemibee]

****************************************************************
On my walk back to the motel Sasquatch jumped off a ledge and landed on top of me and the fight was on

Yah, well, I'm still a newbie, so I think I'd better bow out of this conversation. I Googled 'TRAMP 2014,' but all I found was some sort of Japanese cos-play videos ?! And after reading your post, I don't know whether to congratulate you, commiserate with you, or have you report for a drug screening test.

I should have included this link to our ride report. . . T.r.a.m.p. 2014

 

[Mad On Triumphs]

Without a doubt touring is the best thing that us as bikers can do. You really do meet some great people out there. This year could be a pumper year for great photo's form all over the world, on our forum.

 

[DaveH]

Thanks for my mention in dispatches, keystiger. As Twiggy said, back in the 60s/70s - "you meet the nicest people on a Honda." For Honda, you could substitute any Brand, but a Hinckley Triumph always attracts the old guy, with misty eyes, who tells you a story - "bought one of those Thunderbirds in 195*, used it for work during the week, hitched a double adult chariot on for taking the wife & kids to the seaside on a Sunday and had to put it in for a car in 196*, because the wife wanted to be warm and dry. If I had kept it, it would be worth £20k now - did 100 mpg, cruised at 80 mph and never broke down!" Deep down, we envy the old chap, and long to tell others "our" favourite m/c stories.
Nancy - we left Flagstaff, in 1976, in a Navajo Trail bus, early one November morning, through snow and were dropped off in the car park (a small gravel area alongside the edge of the Canyon.) Down some steps, and along a walkway, were a cafe, souvenir shop, camera shop (went there to replace my Pentax SP500 35mm dud battery) and the original hotel (you could buy a mule train, 2 day trip to the bottom, staying overnight in Indian Gardens, there and then.) Must have been 3 or 4 people on the walkway and a dozen or so in the hotel (big log fire blazing away.) Anyone else been there around that time, to correct me (or agree with me)?

 

[SarahP]

I should have included this link to our ride report. . . T.r.a.m.p. 2014

*******************************
Hemi,

*Now* that makes more sense! I especially liked the photo of the cruiser pulling the tiny truck.

It looks as though y'all had a great time!