Well, I got her home, at last ...
Last Saturday was the first day with decent weather, and according to all the internet weather sites I know the only day of decent weather for much more yet.
So it was go or no go. It was GO ! So I go-ed... er, went
Wifey and I drove the 250 Km from Rome to Naples, beautiful day, 1 December, perky winter day, you could see birdies flying and tiny clouds up high in the sky and polar bears sunbathing and... was that an omen for a cold day?
Well, we got to Naples by noon (shop open on Saturday until 1 pm) so I happily collected my bike, checked and double checked that all the wrongs had been righted, and that none of the rights had been lefted (you know, like when you go to have one thing fixed and when you pick up the bike another's broke in the meantime?
)
all seemed OK, so I gunned her up and drove off towards the Navy Support Area
(only KFC for the next 1000 miles !!!)
...but once I got there, with the bike running sweet as a cherry, I noticed the head was leaking nice yellowish oily stuff... oil ? It was too late to return to the shop, what's worse it was my second time all the way to Naples and I really really did NOT want to leave her down there again, so I swiped the oil away with a greasy rag (you'd never expect the nice, clean rag to stay clean after wiping the engine, would you?) and off we went to feed on deep fried avians 8)
3:30 pm, time to head home, it'll be a long ride and the sun sets waaay too soon in the winter ... so off I went, wifey staying "just a little bit longer" ...
4pm, check through the highway toll booth, fill up to the brim, and away I go.
I steady on some 4500 rpm by the tach, some 110 Km/h (70mph), comfy, wind pushes back but I can handle it, but the traffic is going faster, well, not so fast, actually not very fast at all, hey, I'm overtaking a few, but the headwind is murder...
HEY !!! I thought I had settled on 4500 rpm, I was doing 5500 !!! that's close to 130Km/h, almost 80mph !!!
Slow down kid !!!
So I slow down and settle back to 4500 rpm, engine baritones like Pavarotti bellowing out his best mouthwash
and the bike is really sweet, goes like a million bucks 8)
By 4:45 I reach the summit of a (small) mountain pass, it's only 600 meters above sea level, like 1800ft+, but the sun is setting and it's really damp and clammy and the cold is slowly making its way into my gloves... knees... and those two other verry precious things which are +/- the same altitude as my knees but would like to be kept warmer...
at around 5pm I reach a service station, pull over, and I'm surprised I only have one hand left... my cold clammy left hand struggling to release the throttle twist grip from steely claws that simply will NOT release !
Hey, I need something hot here (coffee, I mean... what were you guys thinking
)
I eventually decide against having anything to drink, cold as it is I'll certainly process the excess liquids waaay before the sugar does any good... so I fill up again, 4 litres for the last 75 Km, that's 18.75 Km/litre (mpg???) not bad if I say so myself , and I'm off !
Chuggachuggachug... ??? the petc0ck! Twist it back to PRIME
(there's no vacuum pipe on the new carb, remember?
) and I'm off again.
It's pitch black, penguins hitchhiking but none of them have a helmet so I'm not picking anyone up...
Maybe I'm having visions...
Maybe it IS a mite too cold...
Maybe, if I could feel any of my two fingers of the right claw...
Maybe, if only my knees would stop flapping incessantly...
Maybe, if only I can make it to the top of the next hill... and another one... maybe, the next one...
8)
I made it !
I actually made it !!!
...
I eventually merged into Saturday night metropolitan traffic, which in Rome isn't any different from L.A. ...
And then took the exit where a large neon was flashing
[glow=red,2,300]
[/glow]
(no it wasn't, but I had my autopilot on by then
)
until a matt black, debadged bobber growled its way into the condo park, scaring all the cats away and setting off a few car alarms
I slowly eased myself off the bike, pried my now deep-frozen fingers off the 'bars, and slowly paced my way home...
I must have used up a week's worth of hot water under that shower, and I was still feeling cold...
...
PS Wifey was having such a good time that she got home a full hour behind me...
Bike's now soundly sleeping in the garage, and I'm waiting for the weather to improve... 8)
No more polar rides for me this year !!! 8)
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