TLCMC

I finally got a chance to get out for a ride today and since I still need to get the ABS fixed on the 2010 Triumph Tiger I decided to take little Red out and put some more break in miles on him. I gave him a clean-up before leaving, since he was going out in public, and he looked real pretty sitting on the drive.

Red, for those who don't know, is a 1970 Triumph TR25W.  His last great adventure ended in disaster when he suffered a catastrophic seizure up in Jasper. Since then he has had a complete rebuild and having completed an initial shake down ride bringing him back from the mechanic I was starting to gently put miles on to break him in. 

This Halloween, Larry, Dave, Mike and Mel rambled through North Georgia in all its fall glory.  Their weather was a far cry from the warm tropical moisture of Zeta a few days earlier.  With starting temps in the mid-forties, heated grips and gear were prized conveniences.  They took easy-going backroads like Cove, Grandview, Sunrise and Doublehead Gap around Jasper and N to Van Zandt’s in Dial.  It was a welcome respite as temps had dropped to 41 in the upper elevations and winds were blowing 20+ mph.  Thin morning cloud cover was delaying the day’s expected warmup.  Fortunately, the previous day’s dry air, sunshine, and winds had nicely cleared the roads of the extensive weather debris from Zeta.  But while the metro area largely had power restored by Saturday, it was apparent from the numerous bucket trucks they weaved around, that work was still underway in the mountains.

No, not the hair kind (most of us have little need for that!).  Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum just outside of Birmingham, AL.  Little known secret… the World’s BEST motorcycle museum is that close to home.  Really, I’m not kidding. 

Dave and Larry were able to take a Friday off and make an overnight trip of it.  Although the remnants of (another!) hurricane were thoroughly soaking Atlanta as they packed, it slipped out just in time for them to make a dry run west.  They took easy-going state roads like 92, 120, and 78 rather than hectic I-285 and I-20.  And it was surprisingly enjoyable riding.

After many weather delays and even the remnants of a category 4 hurricane, we finally pulled off an August ride.  On the 29th, Dave and Larry (seen off by Richard who couldn’t break his day plans) took advantage of a break in the action to enjoy a route of “old favorites”.  Their day started in tropical soup – that fine line between 99% and 100% humidity where you can’t tell if you’d be more comfortable in rain gear or mesh gear!  Mesh won the day.  They leisurely headed to the mountains using Grandview, Sunrise, and Doublehead Gap roads, all favorites indeed.  Hwy 136 through the Burnt Mountain elevations was completely “in the clouds” and visibility dropped to only 50’ at times.  But the power of our Lord’s sun raised the ceiling and broke up the soup.