Gray skies and wet roads greeted us Saturday morning. So we jumped in the car and took a road trip to Richmond to visit Moto Richmond, a dealership that carries Triumph, KTM, and Moto Guzzi. It was a rainy drive with a brief downpour that caused stoppage on the interstate.  But with only one wrong turn, we made it to the dealership. One reason we went was to allow Bill to compare the Triumph Rocket III R and GT models directly, so he could decide which model he prefers (the GT).  We also were able to see the carnival red color which the 2023 Rocket will come out in; this color was on the gold line Bobber and is a beautiful shade of red. We also got to see the Scrambler XE in the Baja Orange again, but this time it was next to the Cobalt Blue Jet Black, so we could discern which color we preferred (the blue).

            Another reason we went was to see the Triumph Tiger 1200 Rally Pro which, unfortunately for us, had been sold that week.  They had the Rally in the 900 version, so I could compare the feel of that motorcycle to the BMW GS 1250. The Triumph is a bit top heavy. I was also able to sit on the KTM 1200 Adventure for a further comparison, and I felt that bike was far too heavy for me to control. So I left feeling more confident in my choice of the GS.

            The drive home was drier as the showers passed through.  We took this as a hopeful sign we would be able to ride on Sunday. And we were.

            Sunday was on the warm side for our ride, but it was sunny and dry and the driveway was fixed.  I told Bill I felt giddy about our impending ride as we drove over to get the bikes. I would not, however, be able to try out the R Nine T as the field was still too wet.  We hadn’t gone more than a block in our ride before I saw my first cabbage white butterfly. Half a block later, I saw the second.  In all I saw 16 cabbage whites on our ride and saw 4 more on the drive back home.  Clearly, these little butterflies enjoy the warmer weather. 

            They must also like roses and honeysuckle and these were in full bloom. I saw several clematis blooming still, a few late dogwoods, and even a pink peony. Only a pair of Canada geese were out, though we saw a drake as we stopped to take in a view of the lake. Lots of people and dogs were out today, probably making up for the rainy days we’ve had over the past week.

            As for my riding skills, I was able to work on letting out the clutch as I felt the bike tipping while doing slow circles. Another skill I worked on is coming to a stop using only the rear brake.  This is an essential skill because if I am using the front brake and the bike is not dead on straight, the bike can tip over. By using the rear brake, I can quickly adjust the direction of the bike if it is tipping or let out the clutch to keep the bike moving which will help straighten up the motorcycle.

We also worked on straightening up and coming to a stop from a curve, something we hadn’t really worked on since the MSF class. The best parts of the ride were when we rode with some speed to create a cool breeze; the Ducati engine is a lot warmer than the BMW 310. Overall, I had a great ride, easily found neutral every time, then I almost dropped the bike at the end of the ride. As I shifted into neutral and cut the bike off, I noted the fuel light was on; I began to lean the bike to the left to dismount when I realized I didn’t have the kickstand down.  The worst part is that to the left was the R Nine T, so had I dropped the bike, it would’ve landed on Bill’s with me sandwiched in the middle.  Since my one drop of the Ducati was from getting off the bike without ensuring the kickstand was down, I clearly have an issue.  Bill suggested I recite an “end of the ride” checklist to help me fix this problem.

            Other than this serious gaffe, the butterflies joined me and Bill for a fantastic ride.  The week looks a lot drier, so let’s hope I get the chance to ride the R Nine T in the field next weekend.