Featured Just Ride.

My God! Those temps read like the user's manual on my Samsung fridge. Warm at 19C?? Pete, get thee to the Gold Coast and leave your winter gear behind. It was 17C overnight here and I had a jacket on. Acclimatisation is a wondrous thing I suppose. Mind you, I can't ice skate or ski, I've never built a snowman and we spent our last Xmas day by the pool - not quite stoking up the Yule log. Guess I'm missing out but some like it hot!
Nice shot Casey

 

On the Lonely Ones - mostly Kawasaki W650 & W800 and a few Enfield owners - we had one guy posting from Perth WA. Announced one day he was putting his bike away for the winter. Temperatures were down into the high teens Centigrade. WTF!!!!!!???!!! I told him that in Scotland we call it summer when the temps get up into the teens.

 

Yes had mine since 2011. After 3 Honda Transalp’s which I loved. Can’t fault the VStrom.

 

Well, I took a couple of hours this afternoon and went for a ride. Lovely weather for it. Did have to restrain my Inner Hooligan due to wet spots, leftover sand from the snow storm and hunting season. Not normally much of a hazard during the shank of the day, but deer are jumpy now and there's no telling when they'll pop out of the tree line. Fortunately, other than sand, all I had to dodge was one porcupine.

I'll lube the chain, put the battery tender on it and throw a sheet over it, but it's a 5 minute job to make it "road ready" if a nice day pops up.

I don't recall the odometer reading this Spring, but I do know it was a bit shy of 16K because I did the 16K service in July at 15,7xx. It's at 17,535 as of today, so about 2K miles this year, maybe 2500. I had been averaging about 4K miles a year, need to step up my game next year.

 

That's one hazard I've never encountered . . .

 

Well, that didn't last long...

FAR too nice to sit around today, so unhooked the tender and went for a ride. 100-ish miles around one of my Top Ten favorite loops. The Eastern half of Route 9 from the Canadian border at Calais to Bangor is very good road and lightly traveled during the day. Major truck route at night. Also lightly patrolled, so you can play a little. I get on about in the middle of that stretch and ride about 30 miles of the most uninhabited part of it and then cut back South.

Perfect weather for it, touched 70° in a few spots and beaucoup sunshine. Once I got back down in a more populated area, saw a couple of dozen bikes out for a Ride of Opportunity. Including one being introduced to the Blue Light Special. Apparently I'm not the only one who likes to ride...briskly.

 

OK, did a little ride through our hinterland last weekend. Here is a little town called Canungra, about 30km's from home. It is a Sunday morning biker's hangout for brekky or a coffee. Quite a few tyros here but the atmosphere is pleasant - wall to wall motorcycles by 10am. The scenic shots are taken from the Eagle Heights Hotel overlooking the northern Gold Cast. 32C here at 11:00 with a smoke haze blocking the view. The second shot shows a helicopter bringing in the bride for an afternoon wedding. That's my son guarding the beers. He's out on his mother's V Star 250 - big kid on a little bike but he's good company. Just realised I didn't get a shot of the XS. Next time.
Cheers

 

Well David, it sure looks beautiful there! So happy to see you out and about, enjoying your 650 and your sons company! Here’s to many more such days!

 

You're a top bloke Bob.
Cheers

 

Over on the ST Owners forum, I have been having a massive farkle sale and if the weather is not too crappy on Thursday, Gretel and I are going to ride up to London to deliver some ST1300 farkles to a forum member.

If it IS too crappy, I'll take the danged car.....

 

What's a farkle??

 

Farkle (n): A modification to a motorcycle that satisfies the following criteria: creates “bling,” serves a purpose (the usefulness of which is in the eyes of the farkler) and is most likely expensive. Often used among touring riders to denote or convey status amongst their peers. Ex: “I picked up a new farkle for my ST today: a GPS-based burger joint locator!” (v): To farkle; to accessorize one’s motorcycle with farkles. Ex: “Boy, John really farkled out his K1300GT; it’s even got a cup holder!”

 

If he knew the asking prices of those Volkswagen campers he perhaps would hire a lift and carefully take it Down.
It looks as 60 ies models --- may well be 5 digits in US Dollars a Piece. And depending on rust and so the first digit might not even be 1
https://www.classic-trader.com/uk/cars/search/volkswagen/transporter

 

Well, I'll be damned! I thought it was some sort of surreptitious euphemism like,
"Go farkle yourself!" or "Why don't you farkle off??"
I have a degree in Applied Linguistics but you learn something every day?
Cheers Bob.

 

Now get out there and buy some farkles! Like a phone mount and a charger, maybe a GPS, and a........

 

Maybe a beach umbrella!!??? Enough!

 

Haven't really sent in any photos of my SE complete after nearly 4 years. Was generously nominated for the calendar this year but I got waylaid and didn't enter any shots. I know I should kick off another thread but the old girl looked good after a little maintenance this afternoon so I snapped a few quick shots to show what I'm riding around the Gold Coast and its regions. I know you fellows appreciate photos so, forgive me, but this is what she looks like. Unfortunately, the scenery is a Queensland driveway, probably just like yours. Love this motorcycle!

 

Wow David! She looks brand new! I like your seat too, did you get it recovered locally? I think it looks a little nicer than the stock seat.

 

Good looking machine! Wheels and calipers in silver looks so much lighter!

 

FARKLE

Also found in: Wikipedia.
Acronym Definition
FARKLE Fancy Accessory, Really Kool, Likely Expensive (motorcycle accessories)
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