We are back home! I stopped posting as the laptop computer was not easy to type on, and it kept turning my photos sideways.
Serowbot was just as fun in person as he is on the forum......and he took us on great rides and showed us the scenery. Mount Lemmon provides a ride that is sort of like combining the Tail of the Dragon and the Cherohala Skyway - it is long, and the curves are not as tight as the Dragon but not as big/fast as the Skyway.....the scenery and views are fantastic!
Tuscon was a wonderful place to visit. The number of museums and towns to visit is seemingly endless - we had lot of places that we just didn't have time to go see. We visited caves, mines, Tombstone and the Boothill Cemetery, Bisbee, Nogales, the Airplane Boneyard, Pima Air & Space Museum where they had 80 acres of airplanes, the Titan Missile Museum.
The rental BMW R1200RT was really a jewel - it was powerful and fast (125HP), smooth as silk, it has a windshield that raises and lowers at the touch of a button, electronically adjustable suspension and ride, heated front and rear seats, heated grips, cruise control, traction control, ABS brakes, radio, a display that has 2 trips meters, air temperature, fuel gauge and miles to go on remaining fuel, engine temp, altitude, mph & rpm, digital gear indicator, and a really amazing GPS system built into the dash. The luggage is spacious and easy to operate, and it removes with just the turn of a key. They are a bit heavy but it is still manageable at this point in my life........and they are really expensive to buy new - but it was the smoothest (both engine and ride quality) and the most comfortable motorcycle I have ever ridden. I am going to explore the possibility of buying a used one - the prices of used ones drops drastically after the "new" purchase, and it may be possible that I could afford to buy a good used one.
Here is a photo of the first day with the bike when we rode up Mount Lemmon. Gerald Hughes from this forum is in his Fiat, Serowbot is on the right, I am in the middle, and Serowbot's friend George is on the left.
I plan on going back to Tucson someday...and it would be a great place for a late fall/early winter group ride!