Happy New Year! Folks, as discussed in the previous threads, this thread is not just to remember Frank, but also to share his New Years Resolution to get off our butts and ride more. A lot of us are getting older and we're carrying a few aches and pains, and sometimes it's easier to talk about riding than actually doing it, so it's important to get out there and get some miles under our tyres.
It's good for our bikes too, bikes that aren't ridden often tend to slowly self destruct, I'm currently in the process of revitalising several of my bikes that I've ignored for too long, so riding your bike, as opposed to parking it under a dust sheet and just bullsh1tting everyone about it, is actually good for your bikes too.
The rules were changed in 2022 to be a bit more inclusive. 1. To post in this thread, the ride you're posting must be a minimum of 50 miles. 50 miles isn't hard, we can all get out and do that, and it'll give our oil a chance to get warm, recharge our batteries (both the bikes, and ours) and burn off any condensation inside our engines and pipes. 2. This thread is no longer restricted to just SOHC4's. A lot of us have bikes other than SOHC4's that we like to ride, and take pics of, so it'll be good to be able to post here, and I for one will enjoy looking at pics of other bikes that you own, out on the road. 3. You can only claim one ride in one day, regardless of how many miles you do. (the more the better)
A new rule in 2024 was that you must post your rides within one week of the ride, no diary entries from 6 months ago will be accepted. Sometimes we can't post our rides on the same day, but a week should be long enough for everyone. Like previous years though, if you've posted your rides for 2026 in other threads, you're welcome to cut and paste them into this one. Also, keep a tally of how many rides you've done, it's not our job to keep a score for each participant. Kevin went above and beyond and did, but he shouldn't have to.
Apart from the above, this thread is all about getting off our comfy chairs and back onto our bikes, and enjoying some two wheeled exploring. We have a "clique" of riders here who really try hard to do their rides every year, and I hope that even more members here, from as many places around the globe, will participate and post pics of your bikes, your scenery, your riding buddies, what you're eating and drinking (in moderation, of course) and how you're enjoying your favourite hobby. Remember, 50 miles is the minimum, no speedo readings are necessary, we're all adults, and of course if you want to ride more than 50, well that's even better.
There will be an award (TBA) for the first rider to do 26 rides, and possibly some small trinket for each participant that completes their 26 rides, also TBA. For the last couple of years Bud made some fantastic keyrings to commemorate Frank's legacy and reward folks for making the effort, and Kevin mailed them all over the world, so hopefully we'll come up with something again this year.
I stole this pic from Frank's memorial thread, it shows Frank doing what he was promising himself that he'd try do more of when he started this thread in 2020, getting out as often as he could and enjoying riding his bikes. Let's all continue to get out there as often as we can in 2026, and just enjoy the ride!
Frank by
Terry Prendergast, on Flickr
