I'd rather be riding…

I woke up from a great night of sleep, had enough coffee and cake (whatever was free at the hotel) to jump start my day, packed the bike and left at about 8:00 am.  I figured at that time, going straight south on 101 would be a major traffic nightmare with people trying to get to San Francisco. So I took the long way south via Point Reyes Station.  Before leaving Petaluma behind on this story, I recently found out it was the main stage where the famous “American Graffiti” was filmed. Well, how famous it is to you will depend on how old you are.

Point Reyes Station, CA. July 26th, 2011

Back to Point Reyes Station, below is a photo of the farmers market.  This whole area is very agricultural.  I would say it is reasonably left alone, considering it is so close to San Francisco and the 101 corridor.  I thought about it in terms of Tuscany or Marche in Italy, in the sense of how the fields look, the agricultural vocation of the area, the artisan look of the agricultural enterprises, all with close proximity to populous areas.

Pt Reyes Station Farmers Market, CA, July 26th, 2011

I could see myself living live on this area. Not too far from an international airport, but close enough to nice healthy farm life, and nice riding areas as well. I still like best Oregon. For now at least. One other thing I noticed on this area was the presence of Eucalyptus trees. I assume they are not native of the area. They bring me memories of growing up close to these trees.  There was a time when people liked these trees and brought them in from Australia or from where ever else they are native. The smells are great when riding on the road sections shaded by these interesting trees.

Eucalyptus Trees. Petaluma/Point Reyes Rd. California. July 26th, 2011

From there I continued south on Hwy. 1, going exactly on top of or alongside the famous San Andreas fault, and going past Bolinas Lagoon (to the right on the photo below).  Can you imagine riding as an earthquake happens? I did not think about it at the time.

Hwy 1 and the San Andreas fault and Bolinas Lagoon. CA. July 26th 2011

I reached Stinson Beach and from there started climbing the more picturesque portion of Hwy 1.

Stinson Beach, CA. July 26th, 2011

Looking back towards (left to right) Bolinas way out there on the left, Bolinas Lagoon, and Stinson Beach more on first plane.

Stinson Beach and Bolinas. CA. July 26th, 2011.

On the many times I go through San Francisco by plane, to connect to the flights leaving for the Pacific territories or to the east, I look down and see these many small roads snaking up and down on this hilly coastal area, close to the bridge. And I always wanted to be on the ground in this area. Now I’m finally riding on them.

Highway 1, California, July 26th, 2011

Oh yes, I almost forgot. The Tiger wanted to be on the picture as well.

The Tiger on Hwy 1. California. July 26th, 2011

More views of this area.

A bit of fog. California, July 26th, 2011

One more picture before the road turns inland, towards 101 just north of the Golden Gate Bridge.

Always nice. California, July 26th, 2011

As the road goes more inland I see more houses, traffic increases and eventually I get to Hwy 101 in Marin City.  I will have to go back to this area and explore more.  But for now, I crossed the bridge.

Crossing the Bridge. San Francisco, CA, July 26th, 2011

It was not quite raining. Just fog. I should ask my father, a civil engineer, what could be the approximate bearing load for these columns. It has four of them on the entire span of the bridge. Just those cables must be a big chunk of the weight of the bridge and the traffic passing through.  On the other hand, the bridge is arched, so I assume some of the weight is transferred to the anchorage points on either end of the bridge. And since everything is tied up together, many vector forces balance each other out somewhat.  What a clever design, still used in modern bridges today.

The columns. GGB, CA, July 2011

I had seen the toll signs, $6.00 per vehicle. I got the cash ready with the right change on my handy Otter box before I entered the bridge.  It was my first time going through a toll road on a motorcycle: “Do I have to pay?” I asked the clerk when I reached the toll booth on the other end of the bridge. “Yes”, along with a puzzled look, he answered. I must had looked more stupid than I regularly am on that very moment.

Do I have to Pay? And the puzzled look. Toll Booth on GGB, San Francisco, CA, July 26th, 2011

So I turned around and came back up north. That was it, mission #2 accomplished.

Going North on GGB, CA. July 26th, 2011

The bridge has its own police patrol.  I was going by the book, for a change: 45mph!

GGB Police. CA, July 25th, 2011

I stopped at the north east view area of the bridge. How beautiful and fitting that it was a foggy day, considering the many times I stayed at the Eugene airport, waiting, as my flight had been delayed getting into San Francisco because of this very fog. You can see the arch on the bridge and the anchor points where opposite forces not totally, but probably somewhat cancel out.

Fog and the Bridge. California, July 26th, 2011

Another photo.  The bridge is probably always under some level of work or painting or something.

The GGB. California, July 26th, 2011

Adios bridge, time go home.  I now had three days to enjoy the trip back north. So I went back to Petaluma, using 101 as traffic was light. From Petaluma and turned left and went back to Hwy. 1. Yes, I needed to find the far west location to then turn right and go north again, enjoying the beautiful views of the Pacific Ocean.

Far west I go! California, July 2011

Back to Point Reyes Station.

Petaluma-Pt Reyes Road. California, July 26th, 2011

When flying over the San Francisco area, I also saw many times the spit of land that appears to be coming apart from the main land by the San Andreas fault.  Tamales Bay runs north to south making this somewhat straight line along the San Andreas fault.  So, before going north I decided to check this area. I went towards Inverness.

Inverness, CA. July 26th, 2011

They have this Czech restaurant. It is on my notes to check it out on a future trip to this area.  Not that I know anything about the kind of food they serve. But exactly because I don’t know anything about their food.

Czech Restaurant, Hungarian Beer. Inerness, CA, July 25th, 2011

It would take me a while to ride on the many areas in this spit of land, I wanted to specially go to the west side of it, to the Pt Reyes light house. But you know, I like to leave something behind for another trip to the area. So if I ever ride on this area again, I know of a few places that will still be new to me. So I decided to turn around and went back south to Pt Reyes Station one last time on this trip to catch Hwy 1 and resume my north bound route.

Pt Reyes Station, CA, July 26th, 2011

Now I was on the mainland side of Tamales Bay. What was that bumper sticker on the fence?

Tamales Bay. California, July 26th, 2011

Very interesting to have that sticker right here, in the almost middle of nowhere. I’m not sure electric is the solution, but certainly we are addicted to oil.

Drive electric on Tamales Bay. CA, July 26th, 2011

Here is another view of Tamales Bay and its almost straight shape as it follows along the San Andreas fault.

Tamales Bay, CA, July 26th, 2011

Next: Day 3, Part II.

I woke up to the sound of rain. Or so I thought. The campsite was under tall pine trees that formed a canopy several feet high.

Tall trees. Patrick's point campground. Trinidad, CA. August 25th, 2011

I could hear a somewhat regular tapping sound of water hitting on the tent fly.  It turned out to be the thick fog coming in, saturating the pine leaves with water and eventually dropping down. At east that is my theory, as it did not quite feel like rain.

The canopy. Patrick's Point campground. Trinidad, CA. August 25th, 2011

With all this moisture, I decided to lift camp and get going.  It was Monday and I had to attend a Skype call at 4pm, and I needed internet access for this work related call. Looking at the various combinations of mileage to cover and internet access, I decided I had to push it all the way to Petaluma or San Rafael, just north of San Francisco. Plenty of Starbucks with internet access in those areas. That way, I could also enjoy the return trip from San Francisco up north with more time to spare.  I packed under the curious eyes of my campsite neighbors.  I guess they can never figure out how everything fits on a bike or something. In a few minutes I was on my way for the 8 miles south to Trinidad for breakfast.  Less than a mile outside of Patrick’s point and my helmet visor was already dry as I got away from the fog moisture.

Trinidad, CA. August 25th, 2011

From Trinidad’s own website, this is the gist on the town: [Trinidad is] “California’s smallest incorporated city (with a 2000 population of just 311) is noted for its spectacular coastline with ten public beaches and offshore rocks. These rocks are part of the California Coastal National Monument of which Trinidad is a Gateway City.  This natural landmark is joined by three additional marine landmarks – the historic Trinidad Head Light, the Trinidad Memorial Lighthouse, and Humboldt State University’s Fred Telonicher Marine Laboratory. Fishing operations related to Trinidad Harbor are vital to both local tourism and commercial fishery interests in the region.”

Trinidad's Memorial Lighhouse. July 25th, 2011

This town had a nice aura to it.  I checked the boat launch operations.  They seem to cater for the tourist or amateur fishermen.

Boat launch operation. Trinidad, CA. July 25th, 2011

The bay. Some people drive to the beach and launch their boats from there.

Crabpots, Trinidad, CA. July 25th, 2011

On my way down to the bay I had ridden past this restaurant. On my way up it became my destination.

Trinidad, CA. July 25th, 2011

This bike is something. Two people came by to ask me about this bike. It must be something about Triumph that is more appealing than BMW or Yamaha are.  Here is the breakfast. I don’t eat this kind of food regularly.  But when riding, I know this food will be the energy that will keep me going until dinner. And it tasted great too.

Breakfast. Trinidad, CA. July 25th, 2011

By the time I finished breakfast the parking lot was full.  I arrived just in time.  I also charged cameras and phone when there.  I also got a courtesy map of the California Lost Coast that served me well on the way back north. Now my destination was Petaluma or San Rafael via Hwy 101. But first last check the Avenue of the Giants.

Just north of the junction to the Avenue of the Giants. California, July 25th, 2011

It didn’t take long and I reached the Avenue of the Giants.  Yes, big freaking trees they are.

The Giants. California, July 25th, 2011

See how small that bike is.

The Giant and the Tiger. California, July 25th, 2011

The road meanders between these little trees.

The road and the trees. California, July 25th, 2011

It reminds me of the Return of the Jedi! Have you seen that movie? Well, here is the Tiger at a much slower speed than those flying contraptions of the Star Wars movie.  Although the Tiger almost sounds like those machines.

And no, it was not your imagination, you really saw a really old car crossing by me on the road. They were traveling in great style, just perfect to enjoy this beautiful forest.

That's the way to do it. Avenue of the Giants, CA. July 25th, 2011

I was having too much fun.  At one point on one of the small towns in the forest there was this tree that you can drive through it.  They wanted some $4 dollars to let me go through it. Well… next time buddy. I got going, time was running short and I needed to be somewhere with enough civilization for internet access. I only stopped for gasoline and a couple of pictures.  I went through the middle of California’s wine country.  You know, Oregon does not stay too far behind in terms of wineries and great wine. But California wineries have their appeal.  Like this one.

Coppola Winery. Sonoma County, CA. July 25th, 2011

Yes, it is a Francis Ford Coppola winery.

Coppola Winery, Sonoma County, CA. July 25th, 2011

I did not have time to spare, so I kept going south.  I was now very close to Petaluma. Soon Traffic built up and slowed me down to a crawl. Petaluma became my destination. I used the GPS to locate a Starbucks and the GPS took me to downtown Petaluma and to a Starbucks with shaded parking with 15 minutes to spare for my call.

My office for one hour. Petaluma, CA. July 25th, 2011

I got inside the Starbucks, got me a cold drink, and connected my phone to their internet and soon I was Skyping to a work call. No one bothered the smelly biker on the corner. And I could check my bike from there. Perfect. When the call was over, I even took notes during the call, I used the GPS and the I-phone to find me a hotel for the night. I was able to find one down the street and even was able to read the reviews on Travel Advisory.  How was it to travel without all of this? The romantics or traditionalists perhaps, say the adventure has been thrown out the door. Sometimes I agree with them. Sometimes I don’t. Sometimes I use the technology. Sometimes I don’t. My choice for the hotel was one where I could walk to restaurants.

The Hotel. Petaluma, CA, July 25th, 2011.

My choice was the Metro Hotel.  One of the reviewers indicated that her mother had been accused of stealing a painting from the room and been charged for that on their card.  I was a bit paranoid that they would charge me for something like that as well.  All other reviews were positive. And several reviewers mentioned the hotel was at walking distance from several nice restaurants.

The Metro Hotel, Petaluma, CA. July 25th, 2011

Those airstream trailers were also part of the hotel. At least the rooms were clean, even they were too clean for me. The hotel staff were as short with words as they could manage and still get me a room. That’s OK with me.  I showered and went for a walk to find the restaurants. Well. It was Monday, so practically all restaurants in the area were closed. Bummer. But I had my only pair of civilian pants, and my Sidi boots are actually very  comfortable for walking, so there I went to find restaurants closer to town.

Sidi Boots. Almost civilian looking. Petaluma, CA, July 25th, 2011

I went past the Post Office.

Petaluma Post Office. Petaluma, CA, July 25th, 2011

I saw some restaurants that could be an option for dinner. Then I came  to this area of town.  I’m not into “malls” as an option for good dining, but you never know. Let’s check the options.

Petaluma, CA. July 25th, 2011

Interesting water fountain.

Water fountain. Petaluma, CA, July 25th, 2011

And I came across this Mexican restaurant. Why not? It is usually a safe bet, and I usually do not expect much from such restaurants.

Tres Hombres restaurant, Petaluma, CA. July 25th, 2011

Nice to be sitting outside, enjoying the summer. Something is wrong with this picture.

Tres Hombres restautant, Petaluma, CA. July 25th, 2011

Ah, better!

Beer at Tres Hombres, Petaluma, CA. July 25th, 2011

Nice and relaxing place. Although in the middle of the city, I managed to seat at a nice place to get a view of an urban sun set.

And dinner was exceptionally good. Surprisingly good. After all, it was more than a Mexican restaurant. I lucked out!

Dinner! Tres Hombres restaurant, Petaluma, CA. July 25th, 2011

The Argentinean style stake, together with a chimichurri native Mexican sauce, and Tamales plus the french fries. What a nice combination.

That's what it was, as described in the menu. Tres Hombres restaurant. Petaluma, CA. July 25th, 2011

Satisfied with my dinner choice, I walked back to the hotel. Stats for the day:

Tomorrow I will be crossing the Golden Gate Bridge, turn around, crossing it again and start my way back north. It took me two days to get to San Francisco area, and I would have three relaxing days to ride north. It will be fun!

Next: The GGB, and back north

Day 1: Eugene, OR to Trinidad, CA (328 miles / 525 Km)

I left Eugene on July 24^th.  I would have 5 days to go to San Francisco, cross the Golden Gate Bridge, turn around and be back in Eugene by Thursday, July 28^th.  On the bike set up, I added a tent, for the case of not finding a hotel. I don’t like to make hotel reservations and then become hostage of a previously arranged schedule.  That would be the same as work!  I knew I had to be back on the 28^th, and that is all I wanted to have planned.  Therefore, the tent, a sleeping bag, and other camping gear are necessary, as I would not know where I would be every evening and whether I would find hotel accommodations on these locations along the way. Also, I wanted to camp at least one night, just for the sake of camping!

Ready to go! July 24th, 2011.

I left towards Florence, and had my first stop at the Umpqua river Light House, south of Florence.

Umpqua River Lighhouse, Hwy 101, Oregon Coast. July 24th, 2011

I didn’t know this was the first of the many light houses on the Oregon Coast.

Umpqua River Lighthouse, a Historical Marker. July 24th, 2011

I continued south towards Coos Bay, where there is another historical mark, the McCullough Bridge.  McCullough was the architect/engineer of the several bridges in art deco style that were part of the great depression recovery act.  They are still operational today and are even an income generating investment not only for the obvious transportation facility they are, but also as a touristic destination.  In 1947 this bridge was renamed as Conde B McCullough Memorial Bridge, after McCullough’s death in 1946.

McCullough Memorial Bridge, North Bend / Coos Bay. July 24th, 2011.

Continuing south, and with a thick fog as a companion, I arrived in Bandon, Oregon. Light house on the back ground, barely visible through the fog.

Bandon, Oregon. July 24th, 2011

The beautiful Pacific is there, somewhere…

Bandon, Oregon. July 24th, 2011.

Farther south on Hwy 101.

Hwy 101, south of Bandon, Oregon. July 24th 2011.

I had to stop every now and then and take pictures. Too beautiful of a coast!

Hwy 101, Oregon. July 24th, 2011.

Getting close to Gold Beach, by the Rogue River, Oregon.

Gold Beach, OR. July 24th, 2011

Bridge over the Rogue River (looking north).

Rogue River bridge, Gold Beach, Oregon

Lunch at the Barnacle Bristo, in Gold Beach.

Barnacle Bristo, Gold Beach, Oregon. July 24th, 2011

It is motorcycle friendly.

Motorcycle friendly. July 24th, 2011

Continuing south. Still Oregon?

Somewhere between Oregon and California. July 24th, 2011

Getting to the Redwood forest, in California, I stopped at the Trees of Mystery site for a photo with Paul Bunyan. That’s where, besides the Tiger, Babe, Paul Bunyan’s Ox becomes another “wildlife” sight.

Paul Bunyan and Babe, the Ox.

I did not take the forest tour. Just took the photo and continued south. At about 4pm I decided to find a spot to spend the night.  Picked a campsite on Patrick’s Point.

Campsite in Patrick's Point Campground, north of Trinidad, CA. July 24th, 2011.

After setting the camp, I went south to Trinidad, CA, to get supplies: something for dinner and beer. Found a supermarket in Trinidad.

Supermarket in Trinidad, CA. July 24th, 2011.

On the way back to the campground, stopped to take a look at the Pacific. Fog and clouds clearing on the horizon.

Patrick's Point view of the Pacific. Trinidad, CA, Jult 24th, 2011

Upon arriving back at the campground I realized I was lucky to have stopped when I did. The campground was now full.

Patrick's Point Campground. Trinidad, CA. July 24th, 2011

I bough some firewood, built a fire, had dinner, drank a couple of beers, and that was it for my first day.

Ready to rest, Patrick's Point Campground. July 24th, 2011.

 Stats for the first day:

First day.

Next: Day 2, from Trinidad to Petaluma, CA.

A few memorable or common quotes from this trip:

•  “I didn’t know Triumph made this type of motorcycle”
• “Do I have to pay?”
• “Are you going to the moon?”
• “She is just swimming in circles under the bridge”

Wildlife viewed along the way

• A couple of dinosaurs
• An ox (with Paul Banyan)
• Elk
• Whales
• Seagulls
• A Jaguar
• A Tiger

When I was planning on getting my first bike with a primarily road focus (instead of a dirt focus), I started making plans about the long road rides with this dreamed new bike. New horizons would open, so I imagined riding the Oregon Coast, from Astoria down to Gold Beach.  I’ve been riding on the Newport-Florence area for a while. I can’t get tired of this little but beautiful stretch of the coast. But now I would have a bike with which I could easily expand my riding range.

There were a few bikes that were candidates for this kind of riding.  I chose the Triumph Tiger 800XC.  It has that dual sport look to it, it has some enduro features, and it goes off pavement well.  But it primarily is a nice, smooth, comfortable, upright seating, touring bike. Exactly what I wanted for long distance travel.

At Haceta Light. Hwy 101, Oregon Coast. July 2011.

In preparation for the trip I also upgraded the handlebar mounted camera case with an Otter box and purchased the Giant Loop Great Basin bag.

GPS, Otter box, Pelican Box, Giant Loop Bag.

I consider this to be a smart set up. Light and with perfect weight distribution, narrow for better slipstream, no racks needed, making it one of the luggage set ups with the least negative impact on the bike’s performance.  And it looks great too and it shows my dirt rider origins.

Now that the bike and its logistics are complete, I can think about the ride again: where was it that I wanted to go, anyway? The original ideas for this ride was to check and document the Oregon art deco bridges from Astoria to Gold Beach. But a few good friends poisoned my plans: “Riding on the Oregon coast? Why not go south all the way to the lost coast in California?” a few mentioned.  Easily convinced now that I have this bike, I accepted the challenge and raised the bet: if I go south, why not go all the way to the Golden Gate Bridge?

I had seen the Golden Gate Bridge from here:

Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco, November 2010

And from here:

Golden Gate bridge, 2009

But I had never crossed it. Well, this would be my chance. And the destination for the ride. Yes, I like to have a destination on my rides.  I don’t like to plan the exact places and times to stop on my way to a destination, but I like to have a destination point. I might add some via points along the way, some alternate routes, but I like to have a mission, a destination.  The plan: get there, cross it, document it, turn around and come back home. Simple.  The Golden Gate Bridge is 537 miles (860km) from Eugene using the most direct route, via I-5. I will explore the less direct route, the longer way to the bridge and back.

The simple plan:

1. Arrive back home in one piece.
2. Cross the Gold Gate Bridge and turn around.
3. Enjoy the solitude.
4. Stay as close to the Pacific Ocean as possible.
5. See a sunset on the Pacific.
6. Check the Avenue of the Giants
7. Check California’s Lost Coast
8. Take a few pictures and video.

Checking dates on my calendar… No too many open slots on a stretch, but I found one set of dates where I would only be interrupted by one conference call on a Monday, at 4pm, and would need to check emails on a couple more of days. Five open days! Let’s do it!

Next: day 1 – Eugene, Oregon to Trinidad, California.

To summarize, I collected the bike July 8th and did not home until it already had 230 miles on the clock. The following day another 236 miles.  I little bit more is necessary to take the bike back to the dealer to the important 500 miles service.  Easy and fun job. Let’s go.

Baily Hill to Territorial to Simonsen and I’m on a road I call the shake down road, where I take bikes for testing whenever changes are made on them.  I particularly like this dirt road starting right where the bike is.

And this is what it looks like riding on this road!

Mission accomplished.  This bike has now 531 miles.

I washed it and got it ready to take it to the dealer. Funny that I took it there, all clean, and the first thing the shop tech says is: “you took it out on the dirt.” I asked how do you know? I cleaned it so well? He pointed to the chain.  Oops, forgot to clean it.

Next up: A Bridge not too Far: The 800XC Does the Golden Gate Bridge

Cesar

The following day, July 9th, I took the Tiger for another ride. It is easy to add miles to the bike, and my intention was to reach the 500 mile mark to have its first dealer service out of the way. Early in the morning I set the bike up with rear mounting plate for the Pelican box and on the handlebars the camera box.

And the GPS, of course.

Where to? To the Pacific! The blue in the low horizon is that first view of the Ocean that I mentioned on earlier posts.  How I look in anticipation for the first look of the Ocean.  It starts with feeling the cool air, then come the smells, then comes the visual.

Lunch break in Yachats, one of my favorite places on the Oregon coast.

Another stop under the bridge close to the Haceta Lighthouse.

There’s the Haceta Lighthouse.  Famous and probably most photographed lighthouse on the Oregon Coast.

Closing up (as much as the camera will go).

On the way back I took old Stagecoach rd, one of my favorite dirt roads in the area, along the Siuslaw River. I videoed the ride but the camera collected a bug on its lens at the start. The result is that the image can not be seen.  That means tomorrow (Sunday, July 10th) I will have to ride the bike again, find some dirt roads to video the bike’s action on dirt and gravel. Going home, I passed through the Triangle Lake, another feature on my weekend and day rides.

Another 236 miles. Meaning I now need to ride close to 40 miles on Sunday to complete the 500 miles for the first service.

Looking good!

The verdict: the bike did well on dirt roads.  It is heavy and there is not way to make the weight disappear.  But considering the weight it did very well.  Certainly it makes me happy to have kept the BMW as it does better on dirt.  And of course, never forget, I have that little Yamaha, point-and-shoot, toy bike for real fun on the dirt.  But the Tiger will not make me shy away from riding on dirt if that becomes the case.  However, dirt is not a destination for this bike. It rides great on pavement.  Tomorrow there will be more.

Cesar

I picked up my Tiger 800XC at the Cycle Parts shop in Eugene. By the way, let me add a plug for Cycle Parts here.  It is a family operated business and they operate it professionally but with a nice family touch.  Throughout the buying experience I felt as I was a member of the family.

I was going to take it home and prep it for a Saturday ride. Problem is that on the first corner I had to turn right to go home, instead, I turned left. Let’s take it for a short spin before taking it home.

I went to the King Estate Winery. The way there goes though nice country roads. Last time I came here I was testing the Tiger 800. Now, I’m on a shake down ride of my own bike.

Coming out of the King Estate drive, instead of turning left to go home, I turned right… Several miles later I was on Smith River rd.

And by this time, I was already 44 miles into this ride.  It was becoming the maiden voyage for this bike. So let’s keep going, I thought.

The road narrows a bit, and at times become almost like a two-track dirt road, with broken down pavement.  The bike did it all very well.  I can see how it will do well on gravel. The road opens up again.

I was thinking of connecting back to 126 and head back to Eugene.  Instead, another turn away from home and I’m on my way to Reedsport and the coast!

With 153 miles on the clock I filled the tank for the first time. That’s when the gas station attendant mentioned he likes these bikes, and I told him it was brand new, to which he said: it’s on its maiden voyage!

And how far had I been on this “around the block” shake down ride. And it was 5:43 in the afternoon! Time to go home.  I also realized I was hungry. I ate a sandwich quickly and headed back home. Stopped by the covered bridge on Nelson Mountain Rd.

Got home just before sunset, completing the first 230 miles on this bike.

A couple of “first photos” of the bike in its home.

And time to say good night! Be nice to each other!

Impressions… well, this bike is great.  I could not test it to its limits since it is in its break in period and revs are limited to 5K. But it is looking very good.  I’m ready to go again today and complete the miles for the first service (500 miles). One thing that I noticed is that, compared to my BMW, this bike’s clutch actuation is really heavy. About half way through this ride and my left hand was hurting. My left arm and hand were visibly developing new muscle shape. Hopefully today I will do better.  Another observation is that people seem to be a lot more friendly to this bike than they are to the BMW or the Yamaha. There is something charismatic about this bike and about Triumph, it appears.   It could simply be its friendly face. And bright color.

To summarize the story, what was meant to be a little ride around the block before going back home it turned into a 230 miles loop.  It says a lot about this bike’s great riding capability.

Cesar