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Seems that the best things have stories, whether a gun, car, motorcycle, maybe some tools. They'd been around, used, and sometimes put in a corner and forgotten. Please bear with me, as this is a tribute to several people.
This Daytona 955i has a story, it is bittersweet though. A fatality, a crisis of conscience, honor of a friend, the flow of life moving on. Also the moving apart of friends over time, and the remembrance of an old request.
So the story goes like this; A young man in the early years of marriage and family life buys a new 2001 Triumph, he finds a internet group of like minded folk to ride with. He has fun, both on the road and in the evening around the campfire. Friends are made amongst a unlikely and motley group of expats, international and local folk.
We all meet a few times a year as a large group in Vermont and split into smaller ~6 person groups for the day portion of the ride. It's a lot of fun and we did this for several years. As will be, smaller groups click and they meet all season to do local rides.
In 2005 on a beautiful August day my friend is riding with his local group, a driver from a side street pulls out and center punches one of the guys on a Tiger, it is fatal. Our wonderful friend passes on the spot, and the group is left to ponder their own mortality.
In early 2006 we all rode to a favorite spot in Vermont, held a ceremony and scattered our friends ashes in the river. In a somber conversation with the Daytona rider, he mentions he will be hanging up his leathers and not riding anymore. I fully understand and respect his reasoning. In 2007 I offer to purchase his bike , but he is not ready to part with it.
We've been friends and acquaintances a long time by my calendar, never mentioned it again and years literally go by. One day last December I get a Pm on facebook, would I like the Daytona? The conversation covers the condition of the bike, mileage, how it was stored and what it immediately needed.
So, it's been in dry storage 13 years,needs tires, fuel lines, vacuum hoses, motor oil, battery. Put away with only 14,000 miles, not even broken in by Triumph standards. I love a good project, and had been shopping actively for one; so I said yes.
We chat a bit longer, no mention of coin comes up. I offer to send a check, he politely declines. He wants the bike to go to a experienced rider, not some kid. He'd like to see it up and running again in it's former glory. We verbally shake hands, done deal
Another good friend will haul bike the bike from Massachusetts to Connecticut , so I call him and set up a pickup for the Daytona. The bike arrives six weeks later by van, gets rolled into the garage, covered and left alone as the garage is unheated and it's middle February.
After getting my daily ride sorted for the new year I've started looking over the Daytona, she will need some love. Tupperware wise a wash and wax is all the plastic needs to be almost showroom new. As for the mechanical; I am very, very curious how hard or easy a modern FI bike will come up after being put away for 13 years with no storage preparation.
Which brings us here;
This Daytona 955i has a story, it is bittersweet though. A fatality, a crisis of conscience, honor of a friend, the flow of life moving on. Also the moving apart of friends over time, and the remembrance of an old request.
So the story goes like this; A young man in the early years of marriage and family life buys a new 2001 Triumph, he finds a internet group of like minded folk to ride with. He has fun, both on the road and in the evening around the campfire. Friends are made amongst a unlikely and motley group of expats, international and local folk.
We all meet a few times a year as a large group in Vermont and split into smaller ~6 person groups for the day portion of the ride. It's a lot of fun and we did this for several years. As will be, smaller groups click and they meet all season to do local rides.
In 2005 on a beautiful August day my friend is riding with his local group, a driver from a side street pulls out and center punches one of the guys on a Tiger, it is fatal. Our wonderful friend passes on the spot, and the group is left to ponder their own mortality.
In early 2006 we all rode to a favorite spot in Vermont, held a ceremony and scattered our friends ashes in the river. In a somber conversation with the Daytona rider, he mentions he will be hanging up his leathers and not riding anymore. I fully understand and respect his reasoning. In 2007 I offer to purchase his bike , but he is not ready to part with it.
We've been friends and acquaintances a long time by my calendar, never mentioned it again and years literally go by. One day last December I get a Pm on facebook, would I like the Daytona? The conversation covers the condition of the bike, mileage, how it was stored and what it immediately needed.
So, it's been in dry storage 13 years,needs tires, fuel lines, vacuum hoses, motor oil, battery. Put away with only 14,000 miles, not even broken in by Triumph standards. I love a good project, and had been shopping actively for one; so I said yes.
We chat a bit longer, no mention of coin comes up. I offer to send a check, he politely declines. He wants the bike to go to a experienced rider, not some kid. He'd like to see it up and running again in it's former glory. We verbally shake hands, done deal
Another good friend will haul bike the bike from Massachusetts to Connecticut , so I call him and set up a pickup for the Daytona. The bike arrives six weeks later by van, gets rolled into the garage, covered and left alone as the garage is unheated and it's middle February.
After getting my daily ride sorted for the new year I've started looking over the Daytona, she will need some love. Tupperware wise a wash and wax is all the plastic needs to be almost showroom new. As for the mechanical; I am very, very curious how hard or easy a modern FI bike will come up after being put away for 13 years with no storage preparation.
Which brings us here;
