Pics: Me enjoying sunshine in the back garden just to tick off the boys back in Britain. Cindy fixes my back at our company get-together. Early morning mist over Phoenix on Boxing Day ride out with SW Rides. Fountain Hills AZ fountain blows. Its run by 2 V8 engines! Brandon and wife Terri with his bikes. He let me ride both his Hayabusa and SV1000. I liked the SV better. Sad.
Following my big tour I was nominated a member of South West Rides (http://www.southwestrides.com/) with my very own T-shirt and hefty medallion. Now I'm not a chap that rides in a crowd for several reasons. 1. I LOVE travelling alone. 2. People give me energy and if I get on one of my stand-up routine rants I yap like a Pekinese at a Postman's party. (I'm a stand-up comic - I stand up and people laugh) 3. I think I'm a wobbly crappy rider and shame drives me to solitude. 4. Alone I don't get in embarrassing situations if I have no money and 5. I like to ride at my own pace. Very fast in a straight line on empty roads and very badly round slow, tight bends. The R1's crap slow-speed turning gives me the excuses I need and it's eyeball-flattening acceleration cures all known illnesses immediately.
However, I have from time to time decided I should join a group for a 'blast' on a Sunday morning. The first time I decided to meet others and learn more was in England. So I rode to a pub in the woods near Woking and met a friendly bunch of Gixxer riders. Of course I am always amazed at how welcoming and easy going sports bike riders are. The problem is skill. These lads took off like JamesK from an emotional therapy session. I was so scared and over my limit (and still way behind) that when I finally peeled off at Guildford I thought it was normal to cruise the A3 at 140mph! It took 3 weeks for the adrenaline to subside. So I returned to my poodling about at 90(ish) and hid in laybys when I saw Suzuki GSXR riders.
Then after this big tour and meeting the guys and gals (how Yank is that eh?) I decided to try a ride with a group. They were super! The pace was good, the banter better and oh my goodness do the Yanks ever have some tasty bikes. No wonder at almost 1/2 the UK cost. I saw 2 (as in two) Ducati Desmosedici at the racetrack here in Phoenix. Jay Schroeder rode up and chatted away while I dribbled and drooled all over his carbon-clad hunk. I mean this was like petting a Nile crocodile. A $72,000 croc! The Yanks actually buy and RIDE Ducatis like they are useable every-day transport! I hate them all. Except when they generously say "Hey dude, take er for a spin!".
Anyway, I have since ridden with the SWride gang up the twisties of South Mountain Park to see the mist over Phoenix and the twisting, snaking Tortilla Flats out east. (The pace was sensible but I still had a few heart-skips as the front slid on fine sand around the curves). The old gold-mining town (well 1890's is old here) along Lost Dutchman road on the way out to Tortilla Flats is great.
I guess I should put down my impressions of the bikes I've ridden lately but I'm absolutely washed out with bronchitis (flu and a cold on top lasted 2 weeks) and that put a damper on the Hawaii trip. I'll write about that tomorrow maybe. I need to gather photos first.
