Dispensing Grace

[Diego]

Even after my move to Kansas, I didn't quite have room for four bikes. Until this past weekend, I didn't even have a good way to bring the Rocket up here, so I only got to ride her about once a month while I was visiting in Georgia.

And, following a sudden fit of entrepreneurship, both riding time and cash will be in shorter supply for the near future. So, with the Rocket being the one I rode mainly on special occasions anyway, and also being the one that was financed, I have reluctantly parted with her.

However, I am more fortunate than I ever hoped to be in saying farewell to a bike that I enjoyed so much. Gracie now has a good home with one of my neighbors here, an experienced rider who has an appreciation for Triumphs. He plans to add a windscreen, floorboards, and passenger seat, but otherwise wants to keep Grace just as she is.

I will get to see her being ridden and enjoyed more often. And, she joins several other Triumphs in this isolated but surprisingly fertile outpost of British iron, in addition to my own menagerie. (There is even another black Rocket in town, though I haven't seen it myself yet.)

If one must let go of such a great ride, at least it is comforting that she will not be in the hands of some stranger who doesn't have a clue what he's got.

From Grace's days in Georgia... in the driveway at home, on the day when Callaway Gardens allowed bikes in for the first time in 50 years, and the two of us at the airport:

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[sbljr]

Sorry to hear you let the Rocket go but you still have a helluva nice assortment of Triumphs to choose from!

You've probably said before, but where is it you're located in KS? Closest "isolated but surprisingly fertile outpost of British iron" I know of in this region would be Marne, IA (home of Baxter Cycle).

I live in one of the larger cities (as Kansas goes anyway) and afaik still have the only Rocket. Seeing a Triumph of ANY kind is hardly an everyday occurence though there are a few in town--closest Hinckley owner I actually know lives over 30 miles from here.

Swanee in Topeka

[Diego]

I'm located a lot closer to Baxter Springs than Baxter Cycles. :-)

Down here in the southeast corner of the state, I wasn't expecting to see any other Triumphs at all. Our nearest dealer is nearly 80 miles away. In fact, when I left the area almost 40 years ago, motorcycles of any make were a rarity in these parts. But it turns out that there's another Rocket, a Thunderbird, and an Adventure. And one of my classmates owns a '76 Bonneville like my first bike.

Apart from them, the place is nearly eaten up with Harleys...some very splendid specimens, including our sherrif's...plus a nice assortment of Yamaha and Honda cruisers as well.

And there are a handful of sportbikes of various kinds too. There's one guy I've heard, but not yet seen, who cranks it up to 10000 rpm in third gear around town. I need to find that kid, take him to the highway, and show him what 10K in third gear really means on a real sportbike like the Speed Triple! Heck, if I tried winding it up that way in town, I'd be OUT of town in 15 seconds, no matter which direction I was pointed. It just isn't that big a village!

Even in my depleted condition, I still own almost half the Triumphs in town. I do hope to end up with another Rocket some day, when/if my new venture settles down to a routine...hopefully, a full fledged touring version if one is out by then. There's just nothing else around with so much power and grace in one package. So, I'll still be hanging around this forum a lot, keeping an eye out for developments.



[ This message was edited by: Diego on 2006-06-13 20:22 ]

[wilbur-t]

AH Grace, We hardly knew ye!

See if you can get your Neighbor to join us here.

[vonbonds]

Sorry to see you let go of your Rocket Diego. Which bike in your fleet do you find you enjoy the most and why? Inquiring minds and all

[Diego]

> Which bike in your fleet do you find you enjoy the most and why? Inquiring minds and all

Wow, that has to be about the hardest question in the world to answer. Having grown up not very far from Will Rogers country, I've sort of adopted one of his sayings. I never met a motorcycle I didn't like.

Whichever one I'm on is always my favorite at that moment. The most indispensible one, emotionally, would be the Bonneville. It's not the most ridden, however, but it takes me back to the beginning of my riding days, which I regard with considerable fondness.

The most indispensible from a practicality and long-haul comfort standpoint is the Tiger. It's my trusted companion on the road.

I don't regard the Speed Triple as indispensible in the same ways, but it's definitely more than just a barrel of fun or an ego boost...it feels like Bonnevilles did back to me, way back when, except even more so. It's a very gratifying experience.

Grace, of course, was the epitome of elegance, of which there's never been enough in my life. I know I can live without elegance --for a while-- but I will sorely miss it.