Yes, okay, so we’re not supposed to go out, but this was an essential journey. I needed to ride a motorbike!
I needed to ride THIS motorbike … well, my Shovel and Buell are self-isolating in the warehouse.
Before someone shoots me down, I actually needed to cross the Trent from the Hornsbase Bunker at my mum’s to the nearest thing to a supermarket in Willington. And the car is in dock in Crewe for some pre-MOT work so I was forced to go out on the long-term Indian.
And on the way back, I got a bit lost.
Which is to say I nipped down a road that has a bridge over a small brook – that I’ve used previously for a Fat Boy because the old sign made me titter – and then reckoned I knew a route back into town … and I didn’t. Or recognise any of the roads that might have led back.
To avoid the embarrassment of being within two metres of someone from another household (or admitting my error and turning round, which has never been a strong point but has led me to some wonderful places) I continued along a road that I knew went somewhere – eventually – and came back again, following my nose and experimenting with the clever Ride Modes on the apparently anachronistic Chief Vintage on dry and empty roads beneath blue skies.
And there lies the case for the defence.
For my next trick, I will be doing a supermarket Poker Run: picking up one item from each on a shopping list of twenty items. Own brand Asda butter which is less salty than most, Tesco’s in-house bakery wholemeal ‘cos that’s better round my way, only Morrisons sold Pusser’s Rum last time I looked … you see how it works?
Irresponsible?
Nah! The aisles in the local Spa are barely wide enough for one person, so social distancing is a non-starter if there’s more than a couple of people in the shop. And as long as you don’t meet some dickhead taking it for granted that the roads are empty and pulling out blind – and they are put there – or get carried away with your prowess on empty roads and push it too far, you will be keeping a safe distance and won’t be troubling A&E, and supermarkets are happy to let you walk around with an open face helmet and face mask at the moment.
That should warrant a few miles.
Comments 2
Enjoyed the video, almost a “virtual” ride out for me; now starting to think how it may be an idea to sell my RoadKing Classic & Yamaha Dragstar to get one of these – bit lower in the seating so my diminutive legs could cope better maybe!
Looking forward to the next mag issue &, possibly, more on the Chieftain as well.
A supermarket Poker Run surely is emulating what Nature does exceedingly well. We call it meandering … to follow a natural pathway & in this case being followed by two wheels rather than liquid. Mind you, on return no doubt another flavour of liquid meanders down one’s throat!
Received the Magazine this morning – loved your review of the Challenger. I have one in the garage (with 7 miles on the clock, frustratingly delivered an hour before Boris’s lockdown) alongside my wife’s Scout.
I see that there is leg weather protection on your Chief. Are there any available for the Challenger & Scout – if so, would you know where please?