Yes, Andrew has been trying to get me to try out his Monster (696) for some time now. Thing that scares me is that the bike is so darned sensitive. Crack the throttle and wham you're gone. Give it a bit of brake lever and you're almost catapulted over the handlebars -- or so I am told!
Next time we ride I think we'll swap bikes -- of course, he'll likely complain about how loud my bike is!
Japan Meets Britain
More of that nice late day light streaming into my office......
 Late Day SuperHawk1 by Vince.Lupo, on Flickr  Late Day SuperHawk2 by Vince.Lupo, on Flickr  Late Day SuperHawk3 by Vince.Lupo, on Flickr
Last edited by Vince Lupo on Wed Oct 29, 2014 3:53 am, edited 3 times in total.
Put another 150 miles under the SuperHawk's belt early this morning. Left at 6:30 while the sleep was still in my wife's eyes, and was back by 10:00 (just in time for the hot morning coffee!). Headed out to Frederick County, through Burkittsville and up to Gathland State Park. The weather was generally fine, though I encountered rain towards the end of the ride. Not so bad, except for that 'pins and needles' feeling on my face -- ooch ouch ooch!
Early morning light casts a long SuperHawk shadow....  SuperHawk Shadow by Vince.Lupo, on Flickr The 'War Correspondents Arch' at Gathland State Park, in honour of war correspondents, constructed 1896 [  Gathland1 by Vince.Lupo, on Flickr This morning was also a bit of a 'retro revival' of sorts -- I hadn't worn my old (1985) leather jacket on the SuperHawk for a while, as well as my equally retro Bristol leather boots, and my never-worn, super-retro (1960's) Stadium goggles. So I thought I'd do a bit of a 'road test' with this kit, as well as a bit of a personal trip down memory lane.... The Retro Kit: -Athens Leather motorcycle jacket (circa 1985, purchased new at Athens Leather on Yonge St in Toronto); -Bristol leather boots (purchased new in 1986 in Middle River, Nova Scotia, from Honda dealer A.E. Macleod for the grand sum of $75.00); -Stadium 'Vispec' goggles, probably 1960's era (NOS), purchased on eBay a few years ago; -My tried-and-true bandanna that I've ridden with since 1985 -- the bandanna, the boots and the jacket have been on my motorcycle trips to the Maritimes in 1986, British Columbia in 1987, my tours of the southern US in 1988, and the big Alaska/lower 48 states trip in 1989. So they definitely have personal significance. The Retro Kit (not pictured are my Davida Classic Jet helmet, black leather gauntlets)  Kit by Vince.Lupo, on Flickr Closeup of the goggles -- I managed to crack the plastic lens this morning (don't ask)  Goggles by Vince.Lupo, on Flickr Bristol Boots -- Still in super shape after all these years. And made in Canada!  Bristol1 by Vince.Lupo, on Flickr Found this patch in a tube station gift shop in London -- Japan Meets Britain indeed!  JapanLondon by Vince.Lupo, on Flickr So, how did the 'retro' kit do? Well, probably not as well as hoped, if I'm honest: The Jacket: This jacket has probably had the lining replaced at least 4 times, and the zippers replaced 3 times, not to mention the collar and the cuffs. Kinda reminds me of 'my grandfather's hammer': 'This is my grandfather's hammer. The head has been replaced a couple of times, and the handle is new, but this is my grandfather's hammer.' Either way, I still love this jacket. Unfortunately, it's not the best choice for the SuperHawk. For starters, you end up with this huge gap in the back between the top of your pants and the bottom edge of the jacket. And, it blows up like a balloon as you're hurtling down the road. Much prefer my Belstaff! The Boots: Still fit perfectly and are as comfy as ever. Bad news is that they're totally useless for shifting. I probably had more mis-shifts this morning than I've ever had in the nine years that I've owned the bike. Plus, the top of the foot portion isn't padded at all, so the tops of your toes definitely feel the up-shifts. Maybe the boot-tops were much stiffer back in the '80s! Goggles: Besides the crack in the lens that I managed to inflict upon it this morning, they became actually quite painful to wear after about 50 miles. They pressed down on the bridge of my nose, so right now I have a lovely red mark on my nose. As well, they weren't the best at keeping out the wind, so they ended up being noisy and a bit breezy. Don't think I'll be wearing them again! The Verdict: As much as I can get into all things retro, I think these particular items will find their way back to the shelf and closet of memories. Best remembered, but not necessarily worth experiencing again! BTW the bandanna worked great -- so that's a keeper!
Last edited by Vince Lupo on Wed Oct 29, 2014 3:57 am, edited 8 times in total.
It's not me -- it's the equipment!
I do appreciate the kind words and compliment -- I'm a commercial photographer, and have been taking photos since 1978 (been a commercial photographer since 1996). Plus, when I'm in my office I have the chance to look at my bike all day (well, actually steal loving glances at it while I'm working on clients' photos), so I can't help but take a few snaps of it in that late day light. And really, it's the equipment!
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