Sunday Run

The day was almost perfect. Sunny and 26c. The only complaint we had was the strong south winds. However we'd planned to hit the road for a nice long run out of the city, so we weren't complaining. Glenn and I decided to head west around noon and go to Portage for lunch.



This is Glenn's ride a Yamaha V-Star 1100 Classic.



Let's just say... it looks nothing like it did when it came out of the crate or on the showroom floor.

From the braided cables, painted control boxes, beach handle bars, bullet turn signals, Honda VTX headlamp, custom seat, custom tail light and signals, grips (most of it Küryakyn) to the Samson exhaust and the lowering kit... this bike really rocks!
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Sorry Glenn... I know I'm missing stuff, I just can't remember all of the modifications you've made. There's tons!
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And more to come. like the Harley tear drop tool kit/pouch for the left rear swing arm. This baby is low and loud!
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My fave is that headlamp... just look at it. Sic! And those turn signals were a project in-and-onto themselves. That's a story for another time and another blog post.

So... on the way out of town we stopped to see our bud Chirs. And what does he say to us as we're leaving... "Keep the rubber on the pavement".



I know he meant well, but it's like saying "shutout" when a game is in the dying minutes and the other team scores to break the goose egg! That's right, it's bad luck.

And thanks to this little black dial, the rubber actually left the pavement and I went off roadin'. I hit the shoulder doing about 90 kms. Harley-Davidson calls it a spring loaded throttle friction adjustment screw (manual cruise control). I call it the Death Dial.



This is the turn where it all happened. I was on the right side, nearest the shoulder when I suddenly realized my manual cruise dial was stuck! While in the curve I couldn't slow down and drifted onto the gravel shoulder.



I pulled in the clutch, slowly applied the brakes and kept her up right. The engine was revvin' but experience kicked in and I pulled it out of the grass and brought her to a stop.

Thank god these guys aren't looking for my old carcass. The look on Glenn's face was priceless. It's was a one of those 'Holy sh*t' moments for sure. Speaking of which, after I cleaned my shorts we were off.

When we stopped for lunch we checked the bike over. She was fine.

I knew the nut on my license plate light was loose and I'm sure it shook off during the ride out. No big deal.

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Uh, huh! Evidence. The bike was more like a "riding lawn mow-ster", than riding the Motorheadster on this trip.
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I pulled some of the grass off the undercarriage on the side of the road, I guess I missed some.

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We had lunch at the Wright Spot, which hit the spot. Forty minutes later, it was time to head back to the city.
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We stopped to take a couple of snaps at this old lumber store called Hextall's, in Poplar Point. These are for Leah.

A little further down the road, we stopped at an old church right next to a canola field.
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Here's Glenn, camera in hand.
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I thought the bike would look a little more ominous with the gravestones in the background. Maybe it was the lighting?!? Ya... I'm no photographer.


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However I thought this was a pretty cool snap. Except, the monument is growing out of my tank. Looks like a big gas cap.
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I like this picture of Glenn's bike with the canola in the background as well. I can't get over the looks of that headlamp. Awesome!
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This is probably my favourite shot of my bike.

We also made a quick stop in St. Francis Exavier. These old churches are beautiful.
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The last chance for a couple of beauty shots before we head home. When all was said and done... it was a great day.
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You might say... someone was watching over us on this ride.

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Ace ♠