Retrospective

As riding season comes to an end it’s time to look back at the highlights, and there were many. Here’s my top ten list (in chronological order).

1. Early in the season my friend Duane got a Triumph Thunderbird. We started riding together and it was obvious that Duane had the fever, bad!

2. Suzie decided that the Honda VLX was just a bit too heavy, so she went back to a Suzuki S40. We got it from a nice couple over near Skowhegan. It’s a great little bike, but too small for me. Perhaps she just wanted to keep me off her ride!!

3. My buddy “Cap” took the MSF course and got a Bonneville T-100. I picked it out for him, ha! This acquisition made him very happy and sent him on a helmet buying binge. He too has it bad!

4. During our annual trip to Ohio Suzie and I met up with Tim. He teaches at the regional campus of Kent State University where Suzie and I met in 1971. Tim also rides a Bonneville and we had a great ride on twisty eastern Ohio roads. 

5. With Cap, Duane and I riding Triumphs ,and knowing that Jim rides Triumph as well, it was inevitable that the Triumph Riders of Maine would form. We went on numerous rides around the state this summer and a grand time was had by all. Gary joined us for a ride late in the year and we hope he continues in the future. We also let a number of non-Triumph riders join us on many rides. They are honorary members.

6. One day in August Jim said to me “Lets ride out to Ohio” and we did. I was still on the Honda NT700V and it performed very admirably. It was my longest adventure to date. I learned a lot from my pal Jim.

7. In September a subset of the Triumph Riders made a trip to New Hampshire and stayed in North Conway. The weather forecast was good, but it was also wrong. I rained much of the way out. We got a bit of a reprieve on Saturday morning, but it turned for the worse in the afternoon, rain and cold. We did alright as we were reasonably well prepared.  

8. Though the NT performed well on the first New Hampshire trip, it was apparent that a bigger, more powerful, heavier motorcycle would have done a better job. Fish at Paul Blouin Performance offered me a great deal on a Trophy SE.  The rest is history. 

9. In October, a different set of Triumph riders made a second New Hampshire trip. This time we stayed in Lancaster. Issues on this trip were limited to early sunsets, slightly chilly temperatures, and a really crappy motel. We rode in beautiful northern New Hampshire, snuck into a little corner of Vermont, and visited the eastern townships of Quebec. Also we learned not to visit North Conway on Columbus Day weekend. 

10. Duane and I make an epic late October trip. We took back roads and little used state highways to ride to Damariscota and Metcalf’s Sub Shop. After a great lunch we headed over to Morse’s Sauerkraut in North Waldoboro. I’m still eating the kraut three weeks later. Delicious. The bright sun, good roads and lack of traffic made this one of the best rides of the season.

Disappointment

With forecast of temperatures in the upper 40s, I planned to take the Beast out for yet another final ride of the season. It was pretty chilly, 30s when I was preparing for the ride. Long johns, knee-length wool socks, wool sweater, balaclava, neck tube, the whole 9 yards. When I finally mounted the Beast, inserted the key and twisted it there was nothing, absolutely nothing. How disheartening!

I put the battery on a tender, but it still hasn't taken a charge and that was hours ago. I'll let it sit over night and check in the morning. Perhaps it's just a faulty battery. Let's hope. My fear is an electrical short some where hard to find. Yikes!

I rode the Bonnie instead. Windscreen was in the basement, no heated grips, no fairing. I hadn't been on it for a while and it felt good, but dang I got cold.

The last ride, well maybe

Fall is just getting underway in many parts of the country but here in Maine it's winding down. Snow can now fall at any time and with it comes treacherous roads. Not only because of the frozen mess but the roads get covered with salt and sand. Though many have put their bikes away for the year, some of us relish every last chance because each ride may be the last of the season and the roads won't be clear until March, maybe April.
Last Saturday was a special day, temperatures crested in the middle 60s about 15 degrees above normal. It was like we stole one. Duane and I set out for Damariscotta at about 10 am. The temperature was already 58°. We rode to Hamden on the highway, and from there it was back roads all the way to Metcalf's Sub Shop. State and county roads with little traffic cutting through farm fields,  woods and wee villages. Does it get any better than this? Not much. Parked cars by the road side and people wearing blaze orange reminded us that it was the first Saturday in hunting season. We soon spotted a successful father and son team using an ATV to bring their bounty out of the woods.
We hadn't gone too far before the temperature reached 63° where is stayed the remainder of the day. The sun was bright, hardly a cloud in the sky. The many hills along the route kept the riding interesting. Sometimes we wound around the hills and sometimes it was up and over. The pavement was good.
Most of the trees had lost their leafs. No yellows, reds or orange, just drab, brown oaks or naked branches against the blue sky.
The small #17 sub at Metcalf's satisfied my hunger. We sat out on the deck but the breeze kept us from roughing it out by the harbor. It was up Route 1 to Waldoboro then up 220 to Morse's Sauerkraut. When I asked for a 5 pound bucket of sauerkraut it didn't sound as big as it looked when they brought it out. Now I'm glad I got that size, as we're about half through it  in just a week and we've enjoyed the sausage too.
We return home in time go hose down the bikes and give them a good cleaning. Now if I don't mess it up, it's ready to be put to sleep for hibernation. I'll probably mess it up.

The season is winding down....

and I hate this time of year. They days are rapidly getting shorter and the temperatures are plummeting. Soon the snow will fly and the bikes will go in the garage for a long winter's nap. Most of the leaves are down now, but a few maples and oaks refuse to let go of their foliage.

Last weekend brought some nice rides, one with the Triumph group, and one alone. It was a little chilly, in the 40s on Saturday and mid 50s on Sunday.  Not a challenge on the Trophy with all of it wind protection and heated grips. Douglas was chilly, so we stopped for warmth at Rosie's Diner in Winterport. Damn they make big pancakes, and good too.

I discovered Monroe Road, a county road between Hamden and Monroe. It's a little travel, well-maintained road through woods and farmland. There are hills and valleys but nothing too technical to ride. Just fun cruising at 50 mph. On my own I stopped at the Monroe cemetery. It was quite well-maintained. Most of the graves were old, some dating to the 1820s. There was a monument dedicated to the "defenders of the Union" and indicated those boys from Monroe that fell at various battles including Gettysburg and several others.

There's a plan to head down that way on Saturday. If the weather holds and the ride comes to fruition we'll go to Morse's for sauerkraut and bratwurst. Duane, aka Frank Scheppelgrubber, wants to visit Metcalf's for submarine sandwiches. It's reputed to be one of the best sub shops in the state. I'll report back if this comes off.

I'm a delinquent blogger

Much has happened since my last blog. The BLOBs have become the TROMs (Triumph Riders of Maine) and we've gone on two weekend rides to New Hampshire.

The big news is that the Honda NT700V is no longer in the stable. That ole mare has been replaces with a young stallion.

The wife rode pillion on one of the New Hampshire rides. This was prior to the switch in the stable. We found the NT adequate but realized that something a little bigger, with a little more power would make for more comfortable 2-up riding.

When it comes to motorcycles, I've had a bit of a wandering eye. Prior to that ride I'd been to a central Maine Triumph dealership and enquired about a possible trade in for a Trophy. The deal was sweet and the trip to the Granite State illustrated the short comings of the NT. When the opportunity arose I was ready to make the deal.

I picked up the Trophy SE 1200 three weeks ago. One sweet ride. It meets all of our needs.

Later Summer Rides

Though still looking for a proper name, the Triumph Riders of Maine have been busy riding in groups of two to five bikes. Mother Nature has provided us with spectacular conditions over the last several weeks and we've been out frequently taking advantage of the opportunity.
I participated in two great rides this weekend. Saturday we headed out to Corinna, Maine for breakfast. The breakfast ride has become a popular venue. This ride was pretty straightforward. We set out on US 2 to Newport, the we headed north on state highway 7 to Corrina for breakfast. Dang it I can't remember the name of the establishment and I've visited twice in the last two weeks. It's Barb's something or other and is found at the intersection of state routes 7, 43 and 222. The food is good, the atmosphere casual and the theme is to support our troops and honor our veterans. This restaurant attracts locals, motorcycle enthusiasts and ATV riders as there is a popular trail nearby,
We headed home on state route 222 towards Bangor. We stopped at Rowell's farm stand and loaded up with fresh vegetables. Then we back tracked a bit and went south on Horseback road to US 2. As we approached Bangor we rolled in to Bangor Motor Sports and perused the merchandise. The CTX700 bike by Honda looks good.
The entire route offered great pavement, no concerns at all, and the weather was spectacular in spite of a cool start.
The group was small on Sunday. In fact it could be no smaller and be called a group. The spectacular, cloud-free morning led us to Schoodic point. Schoodic is the Acadia experience without the crowds of Mount Desert Island. Chases's Restaurant in Winter Harbor provided an opportunity for a short break that involved a coffee and a home made donut that was still warm. As always there were no crowds and the scenery was unequalled.  The sea was calm the sunshine bright. Pavement was good most of the way the excepting being state route 182. I had recently received a report that this section of road had received a new layer of asphalt. Not! It was bumpy, very bumpy. The views of Tunk Lake and Tunk Mountain were spectacular but I would not recommend this stretch of road until the DOT goes through with a paving machine.

BLOBS ?????

Yesterday I went out for an early morning ride with 3 friends who also ride Triumph motorcycles. It was a sight to behold, three Bonnevilles and a Thunderbird. The ride was a classic from Bangor south to Winterport and then across to Brooks where we had breakfast at Ralphs's Cafe. What something so good is doing in Brooks, Maine is beyond me (no offense to Brooks, Maine). The pavement was all good and so were the people.

Our intent is to make the ride a regular activity once a every week or two. We are talking of a Facebook page. But what to call ourselves? Bonneville Lovers Of Bangor?

Odocoileus virginianus

Yesterday my friend (lets call him the Captain) and I went for a ride. Capt'n rode motorcycles in the old days but had a several decade long lapse until a month ago when he did the MSF beginners course and bought himself a Triumph Bonneville. His skills have improved markedly in this short month. Our goal was the lunch counter at the Enfield General store.

We left Orono and headed up route 16. He chose the ride and the large number of bumps in the road that we encountered north of state route 43 made me question his judgement. As we turned on to state route 116 the surface improved. 116 is a quiet road, less travelled than other N-S routes in the area. It parallels the Penobscot river and goes through the woods. We saw very few cars as we rode the 24 miles between Old Town and Howland, I think we actually saw more motorcycles.

 As we were approaching Howland I noticed a relatively large white-tailed deer at the side of the road. I had no way to communicate with Cap. He braked abruptly and the doe crossed the road in front of him. Tragedy averted. I wanted to yell out that they always come in groups but I knew he wouldn't hear me. Just then a second deer leapt out of the woods and right in Cap's path. I thought he was going down. It was a very close call, but he saw the second deer all the way and avoided it.

Be careful out there!

Odd Circumstance

It's been two days since I've been on my bike and it's summer. How odd. Now the weather hasn't been great, but it's not horrible! There has been a chance of rain, but it really hasn't rained. This would have never stopped me in the past, what's going on?