I forgot today was a bank holiday. So with both the banks and Post Office closed and my ISP’s servers conveniently crashing on what may be the last Summer-like day of the year, I decided to drop everything and go for a ride.
Being blessed with a fleet of bikes to chose from, I opted for my personal favorite: my Project TTSR. It’s a 2002 T100 I bought with a salvage title. The originally green & gold bike came out of the Atlanta area, where some poor soul crashed the bike and bent-up a few parts. The basic bones of the bike were sound; frame, engine, wheels & hubs all perfectly fine. I had a spare set of forks and everything else was going to be replaced anyways. The list of major modifications is a fairly small one: Air Box removed, Norman Hyde Scrambler exhaust system, alloy fenders, 1966 tail light & grab rail, flat track bars and Hagon shocks. That’s basically it. No hot carbs. No piggyback shocks. No big bore kit. No 6-pot calipers. Just a fundamentally stock T100 with pipes and the airbox eliminated. The rest is just paint & trim.
Being blessed with a fleet of bikes to chose from, I opted for my personal favorite: my Project TTSR. It’s a 2002 T100 I bought with a salvage title. The originally green & gold bike came out of the Atlanta area, where some poor soul crashed the bike and bent-up a few parts. The basic bones of the bike were sound; frame, engine, wheels & hubs all perfectly fine. I had a spare set of forks and everything else was going to be replaced anyways. The list of major modifications is a fairly small one: Air Box removed, Norman Hyde Scrambler exhaust system, alloy fenders, 1966 tail light & grab rail, flat track bars and Hagon shocks. That’s basically it. No hot carbs. No piggyback shocks. No big bore kit. No 6-pot calipers. Just a fundamentally stock T100 with pipes and the airbox eliminated. The rest is just paint & trim.
What I like most about this particular bike is how easy it is to ride. Easy as in both the bike handles very well, and it is as very comfortable which greatly adds to one’s riding confidence. The stock carbs have a lighter throttle spring than my CR-II and FCR-equipped bikes, which is easy on the wrist. The stock brakes are easy to modulate and the Norman Hyde exhaust is not very loud, both aspects helping to reduce rider’s fatigue. And you all know what a big fan of Hagon shocks I am.
So off I went with no particular route in mind, only a mission: to get lost. I didn’t want to take any highways because I was wearing an open face helmet and the SE MI roads are horrible. After gassing up for $2.79 a gallon (Hazah!) I headed North on the only non-straight roads near me. Note I did not say “winding” roads, as I’m a good 30 miles from any of those. Traffic was light on this warm fall day. A dry summer has left fewer leaves on the ground than normal, so some spirited riding was achieved.
Along the way I had time to reflect on business, friends and life in general. The warm air… the fall colors… and the open roads. If I could bottle this shit, I’d be a Billionaire. I just can’t express strongly enough how much I needed this ride. A ride with no destination, direction and/or path. Just an objective: getting lost. So exploring I went.
I discovered some interesting new roads and points of interest as I meandered in a somewhat Northwestern direction. I navigated old school: by the location of the Sun. This technique came in very useful zipping around the many finger lakes we have in the region. Ultimately I found myself not so far from a familiar eatery, so I stopped for lunch. With my bike parked in front of the restaurant and me seated by the window, I was able to watch the reaction of patrons and road traffic passing by my bike. I’m still somewhat surprised at the wide range of people who are attracted to Triumphs. From the silver haired ladies with their canes and walkers, to the chain-smoking pregnant teenager with less than a full set of teeth (thanks dad!) and virtually every middle-aged man who passed by. Even the local cop gave it a walk-around before coming in to dine.
Bloated and ready to ride, I headed out of the restaurant and took a quick spin around this quaint little town dotted with antique stores and little mom-and-pop boutiques. The Bonneville just seemed to fit in somehow. I just don’t think I would have enjoyed the experience as much on my Harley or hot-rodded Ducati. Certainly the noise alone from either of those bikes would have somehow ‘spoiled the moment.’ I wasn’t looking for fancy, high-tech or loud on this particular day. No, today called for a simpler machine for a simpler ride. Stripped-down and back to basics. Man-machine-road.
On my way home I really got lost. And I guess that is what I was really searching for all-along. Something to take my mind off of the routine of everyday life and allow me to focus on the road, not knowing what’s coming next. No expectations, just new experiences around every corner. Returning home, I find myself refreshed and anxious to hit the road again. And I will… in about 5 months.
posted by RaceDweeb @ 5:54 PM
