Thank you for the background on this. Just read a little more about the Battle of the Somme.
Looks like the memorial is in a beautiful nature preserve. cheers!
Yes. I belive that the 1st day was the bloodiest in WWI with nealy 20,000 allied soldiers dead in the 1st few hours. Brits really miscalculated that one. More died in WW1 than in WWII. In many ways, WWII was just the end of WWI after a 20 year hiatus.
So, you made the plunge! So did I in a way. I traded my XC on Saturday for a slightly used 2020 Bonneville T120 Ace. In may ways that is a downgrade. The bike is a bit small for me, but that makes it easier to toss around. Also, I had the XC decked out with a bunch of Triumph accessories (side bag, heated grips, grip protectors, fog lights, TPMS, and more), I'd go on but it makes me sad and a bit sick. However, my Bonnie had a bunch of upgrades done (de-cat X pipe, exhaust, cruise, heated grips, suspension and more). Overall I paid in to get basically an inferior bike. I only did it because I decided that I just liked the XE better than the XC (especially after I took off the handlebar risers) and keeping both was just redundant (even though they are really different bikes from the rider position point of view). Anyway, I already miss my beautiful XC. The only way to get over that, will riding my XE! The pic of my XE is at Baxter Cycle, and the Bonnie is on my driveway after a bath. I bought it clean, but after 70 mile drive home, in 90+ degree F weather in Iowa, the bike and I were covered in bug blood.
I miss (almost) every bike I ever sold, so I get your desire to get your Multistrada back. Hell, who can live with only one bike? We just need more hours in a day and more good weather days in a year to ride them all.
Best luck with your XE. I think you made a great choice. Ride safe and maybe we can meet up sometime. I used to live in MN, my wifes whole family is from there, and I have a son who lives there so we get up there quite often.
joe