Late Night Ride

[Neil955i]

Not a pre-dawn ride, but a post-dusk outing to collect my daughter from a night out with friends.  Decided to leave the Kymco behind an give the Triumph an outing. Almost forgotten the nighttime scents in summer as you ride through the countryside. Wonderful. 30 mile round trip was uneventful and left me wondering why I don’t do this more often!

[Stig / Major Tom]

Good for you!
Temperatures & smells vary while riding in the dark. And in the morning you have breakfast smells .....when passing the jail, the hotel and certain farm houses 😊
I must look up your Triumph.
I still remember seeing my first Triumph Trident (green pretty sure) and the red BSA Rocket (??) parked together on the dealer floor when I was buying my Honda. 1969 I think.
Amazingly futuristic bikes!
Stig

[Kansas kymco]

Neil sometimes life gets in the way.  This summer has been super busy and I've had very little time to ride. I think Stig has the right idea on dedicating time each morning for a ride. Ive always enjoyed Sunday morning rides when the world is asleep.  To make matters worse the poor  Collies have not had their early mornings walks to check their p-mail.

You know my Dad use to say (I don't know how I ever found time to go to work). I know what he means now. Kind of wild to think He and Mom have been gone for a quarter of a century. 

I was going to say next year will be different, but will it?

[Stig / Major Tom]

My dad passed away via dementia at Wright Patterson AF  base a few years ago. Moved my mom up from Florida just in time for covid lock downs. In her mid 90's. When I ask how she's feeling, she says, "fine dammit! !"
She really wants to go be with her husband. They started dating when she was 14.
Doctor said it's the wine which is keeping her fit.
Stig

[Neil955i]

I must look up your Triumph.
I still remember seeing my first Triumph Trident (green pretty sure) and the red BSA Rocket (??) parked together on the dealer floor when I was buying my Honda. 1969 I think.
Amazingly futuristic bikes!
Stig

‘69 Stig, those will have been Meridan models.  All mine have been from the Hinckley incarnation of the marque. Guy called John Bloor resurrected the company from liquidation and has taken it from strength to strength. My current one is an upright unfaired model 675cc Triple cylinder - as have been  all my Triumphs!  Love that offbeat roar when they come on song. Red line is about 14,000 rpm I think. Have I ever seen it? Errr... no!

[Neil955i]

Neil sometimes life gets in the way.  This summer has been super busy and I've had very little time to ride. I think Stig has the right idea on dedicating time each morning for a ride. Ive always enjoyed Sunday morning rides when the world is asleep.  To make matters worse the poor  Collies have not had their early mornings walks to check their p-mail.

You know my Dad use to say (I don't know how I ever found time to go to work). I know what he means now. Kind of wild to think He and Mom have been gone for a quarter of a century. 

I was going to say next year will be different, but will it?

Remember that John Lennon line KK? Life is what happens while you’re busy making plans. Phrophetic, wasn’t that so true for him too?

[CROSSBOLT]

BSA days and nights came flooding back!  After a day of flying in the beautiful southern California weather, the early night-time smells of still fresh air tainted with damp manzanitas was nearly cedar and cypress in its sharpness. The single headlamp was more landing light bright in the chilled air. The only 650 I ever had, restored to nearly original by my owm hands. Its 20 year life extendeded in 1974 with bright red tanks and silver fenders. Even restored the Smiths chronometric speedo!

Night ride home from the airfield was smooth for the soul...

[Neil955i]

In the late 80's and through the 90's I used to do an annual July Rally over here which ran over 24 hours and I used to love the spell from 01:00 to about 05:00 hours when roads were empty and countryside smells at their most evocative.  Not like the States as with the exception of a few National Parks here, where you can see deer, the biggest animal likely to wander into your path is a badger or a fox.  Had a few close calls but happily no contacts in all those years.

[aschrauth]

On my route in the morning I always pass by an Imos and it always smells like pizza. That is one of the more present smells. Unfortunately I live about five miles from a waste water treatment plant and the smells are not so good sometimes.

[Paco]

BSA days and nights came flooding back!  After a day of flying in the beautiful southern California weather, the early night-time smells of still fresh air tainted with damp manzanitas was nearly cedar and cypress in its sharpness.

A local brewery makes manzanita flavored beer, on a seasonal basis.  For me, one of the best flavors to enjoy while grilling.

[Neil955i]

A local brewery makes manzanita flavored beer, on a seasonal basis.  For me, one of the best flavors to enjoy while grilling.

OK, I’ll bite, what’s Manzanita?

[Paco]

Manzanita is a kind of shrub, pretty common in Western states. With smooth,  red limbs, they bloom from winter to spring.  They thrive in areas with poor soil composition and little water. The berries of most manzanita species are also edible.

[Neil955i]

Manzanita is a kind of shrub, pretty common in Western states. With smooth,  red limbs, they bloom from winter to spring.  They thrive in areas with poor soil composition and little water. The berries of most manzanita species are also edible.

Thanks Paco. I must have seen these then in Colorado, Nevada or Arizona then, but they didn’t register as I whizzed round on the Harley or the PC1100 lol 😂