It was a gorgeous Spring day in the mid-low 70’s with yellow daffodils everywhere – and I needed to run some errands — so I put on my boots, got my dirt-lid, fired up the Boulevard Bomber and rolled out the door.
I had stepped-on and absolutely pasted a sprinkler diverter-thing out in the tanbark while topping the pear tree with the Stihl moto-saw, so I road out the door, up through the narrow country road flanked by blooming daffodils and old rusted barns, and down over the rushing creek — but Home Depot was crowded and too busy, and lacked decent bike parking. Meh – so I rolled-on through and just kept going – out and down the leafy country-twisty part of Forni Road, down to True-Value on Missouri Flat with the cute girls who run the register.
It was a two-three mile bit of dappled-sunlight and green-shadows with lichen on the oaks that is so much a part of living in Flyover that appeals so much to me. Another way of life, far from people glued to handhelds and drugged-out on audio-video stimuli.
I had forgotten how much the moto-endorphin stream lasted and was beneficial. Makes me want to fire-up the mighty KTM and tear-up the pasture. Reportedly they’re workign on a fuel-injected, road-going two-stroke that will meet emissions and have insane power – awesome!! Let’s ride!
At some point, I discovered that if I wasn’t riding on a regular basis, I only felt half alive. The positive mental effects of roadracing lasted longer than street riding, normally.
What got my attention was the time I fired up my ex-racebike (Guzzi LeMans) and rode to work. A co-worker watching me walk across the parking lot commented that until I removed my helmet as I neared the door, he didn’t recognize me. Said I was walking differently.
Last time I fired a bike up was to take my K1000R ELR down the street to verify function before delivering it to a buyer. 2000? Brain damage keeps me from doing more than putting down a path at the most. Sigh…
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It is a real mood-changer, especially if you’ve grown accustomed to having it.
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You’re teasing me with that KTM!
Sounds like an excellent ride you had. Enjoy it all while you can.
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Good thing too for the ride, because we’re in for the bi-polar weather-go-round this week! Rain, Rain, Not-Rain, Rain, Rain…
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KTM have released the direct injection 2 smoke to be seen in stores later this year… almost enough to make me want to divest from my WR450F….
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It’s supposed to be street legal too? Wow!
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A EFI two-stroke is a Holy Grail item, as long as it weighs less.
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Nice. I rode 170 miles today in the pouring rain for a veteran’s board meeting and will be riding home later today. Hopefully less pouring on the way home.
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Nice! The rain is coming down here tomorrow, but I just rode around doing errands. . . You’re a better man than me!
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Sounds like a fun ride! 🙂
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I had forgotten how much positive mental stimulation a ride provided. And endorphins!
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