There's Always Something
Naturally, few things go as planned. The last leg of my trip was intended to be somewhat boring, and for the most part it was. For nearly 500 miles I churned along taking in the scenery, getting stuck in construction-induced traffic jams. Maybe an hour from my home in Connecticut, the bike sputtered a time or two and then died. I reached down to turn the petcock to reserve and nearly had a coronary. After the last gas stop I'd inadvertently left the tap on reserve. The tank was bone dry, and it was a two-mile uphill shove to the next exit. I'd just started pushing and cursing my stupidity when a truck and trailer convoy pulled over. Randy and Ann Humphries, Bob and Martha Lefebvre and Armand and Sharon Beaupre were returning from the Hoot to their homes in Massachusetts. Armand quickly popped the fuel line off his immaculate '70 Honda chopper and drained me off a gallon of gas. The sextet of saviors took off before I could properly thank them. So here it is: Thanks, guys, I owe you big time.
Ninety minutes later my exit was in sight, which by rights should be the end of this story. But as I pulled off the ramp, the sky opened up one last time, and I rolled into my driveway a sodden mess. As I sat on the bike savoring the last moments of a most excellent trip, it dawned on me that the whole deal, including the rain, getting lost and running out of gas, had brought me full circle. I couldn't have asked for more than that.
Summer Screen Windshield
#A9748031-$300
Pros:
*Easy to mount
*Surprisingly good protection
*Excellent bug-catcher for amateurentomologists
Cons:
*May cause buffeting
*Excellent bug-catcher for amateur entomologists
Light Bar/Light Kit Chrome
#A9738030-$295
Pros:
*Solid mounts
*Independent switching
*Throws a ton of light out there
Cons:
*The right one burned out at 10 p.m. between Big Otter and Elkview, West Virginia
Rectangular Leather Panniers #A9528012-$355
Pros:
*Well made and well thought out, with a neat internal storage pouch and external map case
Cons:
*They're not really waterproof
*Slightly on the small side
Short Sissy Bar
#A9738025- $230
Pros:
*My wife likes it
*Gives you someplace to tie your duffel bag
Available at www.triumph.couk/usa/.