Thursday was blazing hot 90+ and humid, and I started the day with my jacket on and it was good while moving but I had to make multiple stops at the border and I was headed for overheating until I went into Arby’s for an iced soda and subsequent refills. Maybe I sat there in the AC for an hour facing 200 miles of the same heat, but I ditched the jacket and made my way successfully with several more cooling stops, to my cousins house in Port Perry where I found smiles and refreshment and ditched the rest of my heavy clothing for a cool shower, shorts, bare feet, and a cold one.
Friday, off to Johns farm and we chatted a bit and then walked down to his garage where I got an eyeful of his sandcast project.
http://forums.sohc4.net/index.php/topic,185880.0.html Not until we walked down the hill and into the shop did I realize that dang it I left my phone/camera up the hill and so you will have to visit his project thread to see it.
Friday night at the hotel I grabbed a couple pictures in the lot. Glens 1950 AJS was the oldest bike at the event but it is locked in the trailer behind the Guzzi. I was cleaning my bike a bit and noticed the back wheel dragging somewhere, but I couldn’t make out where, and decided it was a cheap rear brake shoe. I pulled my tool bag out to remove the rear wheel when Glen and Brian came over and saved me from myself. They gave my bike a once over, and then both leaned on the handlebars while I spun the wheel successfully. WTH!?!? The center stand had sunk into the new asphalt parking lot. Incredibly good timing, thank you Brian and Glen. I spent the rest of the evening transposing the route sheet to the highlighted map.
Saturday was event day and when I arrived at the site I saw a cone course with an 8 foot weave that I had no chance of completing. I’m ok on a 15 foot weave, I can nearly do 12 feet. 8 feet no way, but no worries either, we will be on the road soon. The morning is brisk so I close the big vents on my jacket and I’m comfortable. Soon we are off the main road and the countryside is as nice as I remember from last year. Chris at the lead, John, myself, and Patsy on her dads R45. Patsy’s dad Ed Vaillincourt is a legendary BMW collector around here and mostly he leaves the riding to Patsy, who is a very capable rider and a nice gal. But I did see Ed putt-putting around on the R45 when things were quieter, he tried the cone course a time or two as well. Patsy and I were 13-14 this year, 16-17 last year.
In the morning we went by Mosport raceway, i have never been but I would like to try a lap or four on the track. I think my heart would skip a few beats. But we had a more common track, provided by Durham and Northumberland roads, and just as gorgeous and varied. In the afternoon from the hilltops you could see out to Lake Ontario and Rice Lake. Last year we missed the turn at Cooney road but I was ready for it this year, and we approached Cooney from the west where you could actually see the road sign on approach, haha. A wonderful all day ride, everybody was spent at by dinner time.
I was anxious on Sunday about the ride home, due to the eastbound difficulties. But westbound Sunday was an entirely different experience and I was actually ENJOYING my 330 mile ride home on the super slab, as the weather was temperate and there were more frequent stops beyond the 407, no saddle sores.
The CB750 was an able companion all the way and my recent petcock reserve exercise told me that I could do the entire Saturday ride on one tank, I went on reserve about 5 miles from the finish, and refilled 15 liters on the way back to the motel. My Sunday 330 mile ride was completed with one fill at the halfway point near Woodstock/Ingersol and no reserve use.
A terrific weekend, thanks John for the invite, thanks Phil for your hard work, thanks Chris for ably leading.
