Motorcycles
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Club ride today. Up to Fort Ross and back on some truly spectacular Nor Cal roads. The weather was cool and foggy in the early morning. But the sun came out brilliantly after that. Stayed cool enough for leathers with vents open. I’ve attached a route map if you’re interested. Didn’t have time for a lot of pictures as the roads were fairly technical and the pace was somewhat brisk.
https://maps.app.goo.gl/aFJKov3TkS1LDRmM9
The mouth of the Russian River at Jenner.
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@goosehd I got a battery charger you can use. Come on over and pick it up
Sorry to hear about the setback.
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@goosehd what a buzzkill!
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@goosehd the trickle charger still may save it. I left mine unplugged one winter, plugged the battery conditioner back in and it was fine. Probably tempting fate but it's still on its first battery.
The Thruxton had its first ride of the season...to the garage. It needs an MOT, a service and I'm getting riser bars added because my back is fucked and I need a more upright position.
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Spotted at the Club last night: Brother Kevin’s Harley is sporting some pretty fancy suspension components:
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More from the Club last night: Another one of Kalle’s Indians, JC’s blackout Harley and Eric’s recently put together ‘72 Tiger.
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I prefer open face helmets, however it’s Windy as Fvck at the Jersey Shore and winters are brutal. Picked up the Simpson M30 Slipline and love it.
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I actually bought mine in 2004 as well. But BMW lists it as a 2005 model.
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first and (maybe) the only track day of 2026. testing out my new POV cam..
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JC’s custom “Not a Harley”.
As you can tell from the stickers, JC has an affinity for another local club.
(Photos taken at last Thursday’s Club meeting.)
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Friday ride
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A couple of weeks ago was a big bike day at our place. We went and picked up a Vespa in Vancouver for my wife on the Saturday and then went to another island to pick up a bike on Sunday for me. I told my youngest son that if he got his motorcycle learners permit/license, I’d give him one of my bikes when he did. Well, he did it and I kept my word. I was originally thinking of giving him my Harley when I first told him about 5 years ago. The Harley is definitely too much bike for him at this stage and he likes my Suzuki DR 650 better for the style of riding he wants to do. I’ll probably sell my Harley as it doesn’t the love it deserves.
Here are a couple of pictures of my wife when she got it. She used to have her motorcycle license and a bike when we lived in Japan, but it didn’t transfer when we moved to Canada. When we were in Thailand this winter, we rented scooters and she fell in love with riding again. The Vespa is only 50cc and doesn’t require a motorcycle license. It’s a perfect island scooter for her to get around. I’m secretly hoping she’ll want to get a MC license again, but time will tell. So far she is really enjoying riding, owning and taking care of it.
I had been looking at Triumph and BMW for a while and found a great bike and deal at the perfect time. It’s a 2009 BMW F800GS with only 20,000km (now close to 22,000kms). The previous owners had taken meticulous care of it and came with a recent service and all service records. It had a brand new set of Michelin Anakee III road tires that I put about 1,400kms on. Set up like that, it a great road bike that loves to corner. It’s my first BMW and am really impressed with the overall ride quality experience. After riding my DR650 for a few years, it definitely feels like a step up and can see this bike getting a lot of use.
Yesterday I put some knobby tires on it and replaced the chain and sprockets. I’ll probably get some engine guards for it next as I plan on riding it off-road as much as I can. We are fortunate to have some great trails and forest service roads all over Vancouver Island. I’m hoping to ride the North Island 1000 this summer with my son. Today I took my son off roading and had a great time. It was the first time taking the bike in the dirt and it felt at home. It’s a bit bigger and heavier than the DR650, but feels more planted and confidence inspiring. I can still flat foot it at a stop and doesn’t feel too big like some bikes I’ve tried.
Here are a couple of pictures of my son with his bike. As you can tell from the last picture of him, he ate a lot of my dust today
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congrats to your awesome new bike @Denman-John those trips on Vancouver island must be real fun
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@Denman-John thats a perfect bike family.
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@Denman-John I’m smiling
TBH, if I lived anywhere near a city, I would probably buy a Vespas or one of the old Hondas for quick trips and errands.
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@Denman-John So cool. A family that rides together
