Karl on Cars

What started out as a "let's see if the Triumph is still running right" ride, one I expected would last 20-30 minutes, turned into a full-fledged two-wheeI outing, with a stop at the Rock Store and a ride along PCH (traffic was snarled due to holiday beachgoers -- thank god for lane-splitting).

The Rock Store was rockin', with plenty of other Independence Day riders enjoying the slightly toasty (for L.A.) temperatures. I rode beween 9:30 and 11:30, avoiding the worst heat of the day. The Triumph Hurricane was basically running the best it ever has. This was a most welcome change, as it's been experiencing intermittant reliability (to say the least) over the past 12 months. But the 65 miles I put on yesterday were near perfect bliss. Still a tad twitchy on throttle response when you first roll into it, I suspect a slightly-too-advanced timing setting. But that's nit picking (especially for a 35-year-old British bike). It was fast, it made those magical-mystical British triple noises, and it elicited several thumbs up from other motorcyclists -- and even from a few four-wheeled folks. Best of all, it got unprecedented fuel mileage, a sure sign of a proper tune.

I know motorcycling isn't for everyone. Hell, I gave it up for five years starting back around 2000 because I hadn't ridden my Ducati 851 more than three times in the previous 12 months. I think a fear of getting squashed by some crazy West L.A. driver (is that a redundant term?) along with a schedule that simply didn't allow for much riding time had me convinced I should give up two-wheelin', so I sold the Duck and figured I'd probably never own another motorcycle.

But I kept all my riding paraphenalia (helmet, leather jacket, gloves, etc.) and I kept my motorcycle license updated when it was time to renew. I had to pass the written test again a couple years ago, but that was easy because for several years, after moving to L.A. in 1994, I earned extra cash by teaching California Motorcycle Safety classes on the weekend. Believe you me, as an editorial assistant working for Petersen Publishing that extra cash made the difference between eating Kraft Mac & Cheese or...well, generic mac & cheese.

Then five years ago I moved out of West L.A. and into the heart of great riding roads. A 20-minute ride south puts me on Mulholland, and a 20-minute ride north puts me on the 33 toward Ojai, with plenty of additional options in between and no congested city traffic to fight through getting there (yet). In the past three years I've purchased two classic Triumphs (this Hurricane and a Trident T-160), with a third one coming in the next few days. This latest addition is arguably even more wild (and rare) than the Hurricane, which I wouldn't have thought possible before seeing it. I'll post a picture when it gets here.

Anyway, it was a grand time, and a good reminder of why I became a motorcyclist in the first place over 20 years ago. If you're not into the sport I'm sure you have solid reasons for avoiding it (I know there are plenty). But I'm glad I found my back.