Bonneville America Forums Forums Off Topic Discussion Forums Lounge A warm smile on my face.

Disclaimer: This is not an HD bash. To me, a bike is a bike is a bike. This is solely an expression of pride.

Ok, since today is my name day (St. Athanasius) and since the weather was perfect, I decided to leave work at around 3 p.m. and take a ride down the coastal road near where I live. I stopped of at a canteen/cafe on the side of the road overlooking a small cliff onto the Meditteranean.
I was gazing across the sea, looking south - southeast in the direction of Egypt and Israel when it hit me!
I now know where I will be headed in the winter months next year. I'll just do what the birds do and head south to Egypt, Israel and perhaps Lebanon.
Although not intentional, I have misled everyone as none of the above were the reason for this post.

While I was sitting there alone, drinking my umpteenth coffee for the day, I heard the rumble of what could only be a HD. It rolled up and parked next to my SM.
A couple got off the bike and strolled in and sat two tables away from where I was.
I looked at them, hoping to just say hello and was just totally ignored.
It may have been the extra split-second I took to look at the lady who was quite stunning, but I felt that this cold behaviour was uncalled for.

After a while, I got up, looked directly at the girl, smiled at her (she smiled back - he got irritated ) and walked the few metres to where the bikes where parked.

The HD was a brand new Heritage Softail with all the fancy extra bits etc. etc. etc.

I then rode to my home town and went to a musical instrument store and had a chat with the owner whom I know quite well.

After leaving there, I headed home and on the final stretch I came across some poor guy and his gal pushing their bike. As I passed them I saw that it was my "friends" from the seaside cafe.
I turned right at the next intersection and went around the block and as I was coming up behind them, the guy put the bike on it's side-stand (he was probably exhausted).

I asked: "Hey buddy, do you need any help?"
He replied: "No, everything's fine ..."
I said: "You sure?".
He said: "Yes, yes we are just waiting for someone"
I don't think he knew that I had seen them pushing the bike.

I again looked at the lady and smiled (you already know the routine : she smiled back - he got irritated) and then took off.

For the final mile to my home I stroked the mane of my black stallion (or is that the gas tank?) and thought to myself: "last summer, this little baby took me all the way to Northern Germany and back and then immediately on a tour covering almost half of Greece, without a single trace of a hiccup. I am truly proud of it!".

Hence the warm smile on my face.

Post deleted by Grump

Yeah, Thanassis. He was just "waiting for someone", huh?!

Like maybe, ICARUS Towing Service. (Phone No. ACropolis 5-7621)

You see, THAT'S the problem with some Harley riders...They don't realize one needs a GREAT MACHINE in order to "reach the heights" that a Triumph can attain.

Cheers,
Dwight

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I then rode to my home town and went to a musical instrument store and had a chat with the owner whom I know quite well.

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did you get yourself a present in honour(see wojo? some of us know how to spell)of your name day?

Nice story Thanassis

"Pride goeth before the fall." And I'm not referring to your pride, Bedouin.

Nice storey.

Maybe you should have offered to give the lady a ride. You would have been safe. After the geezer had waisted himself pushing his bike he would never have been able to chase you.

Outstanding....thats an experience to remember and retell often.Somtimes the best part of a ride can be rolling up to a stranded Harley. I bet the jerk really wanted to ask for help but didn't because of the way he snubbed you earlier.

Last time my Meriden broke down (positive lead broke off battery), it was 3 separate HD riders who stopped asking if I needed a hand. My proud middle-aged self pushed it the remaining 1.5 miles home, stopping every couple of hundered feet to catch my breath. I bought the Hincley soon afterward. The ones stopping to help were some pretty nice people.

Of course Tom not all HD riders are jerks, But enough are to give the rest a bad name.I've met my share of both types.

I do recall a hardcore,head bangin',6'5" Harley He-Man named, "Dirty man, just call me Dirty" of the Deerfield Beach MC. Helped me bump-start a high-compression KZ1100 in a Daytona parking lot. My son, all 73 lbs of him, had been trying his best, but Dirty was like a starting cart, vroom! Shook my hand and was on his way. They're not all bad.

Great story

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even though I have 6 guitars already

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that's one of my favourite numbers.

Nice story Bedouin. I know a couple of Harley guys and they have offered to have me go on trips with them. They are not all bad. It's to bad there are the few that are though.

Dave

Great story Thanassis

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Hmm ... I wonder if she noticed my card that I dropped as I rode away.

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You sly fox you...

I had a HD guy stop while I was on the side of the highway. Usual HD jacket, boots, tatoo etc. but a nice guy. Had his daughter on the back. Asked if I needed help, replied I was just using a bush. He said: yeah I guess you don't break down much on that heh? Well at least he knows!

Nice one

Bedouin,
That was a great read. The warmth, the solitude, the strangers, the ride. You make me want to move. Well, no. I like it where I am, but traveling to your place would be a great vacation. Any chance of sponsoring a rally at your place?
Now, about the Abe Wechter guitar. Mert will take it, so go ahead and pick it up. She'd make ol' Abe proud.

Wow Bedouin,

Motorcycles, sunny coastal roads, the obligatory beautiful woman, jealous boyfriend, guitars, a kindly wayfaring stranger, salted with implied innuendo of things lost, found and lost again. I think you experienced the "perfect country song", make that the "perfect motorcycle song".

You're an inspiration to us mortal types . I think I have to go balance the checkbook, vacuum the floor or something??

JH

Yeah John. Thanassis doesn't like to spread this information around to us "mortal types", but he's mentioned to me before that he was REALLY born on Mt.Olympus, there in sunny Greece.

Cheers,
Dwight
(don't like him fool ya...that old story o' his about being a Macedonian is just a cover)

Well, have fun then dude.(What?! Zeus is too busy to attend?)

BTW, I hear the...ahem...Aphrodite on the half-shell is pretty good at "Botticelli's Place", that little italian diner over there.

Bedouin,

There's a wonderful word, apophasis, which means "a rhetorical device that emphasizes a fact, by pretending to ignore or deny it." Like yourself, it is of Greek origin.

So your post was "not Harley bashing"? Shame on you, you apophatic Hellene!

Siggy

Hey Brother,
Give Aphrodite a hug from me. Don't forget to let go. I've heard she gets rather irate if the wrong person hangs on too long.

Very funny! And easy to picture that....
I'd be willing to bet that he simply ran out of gas... if it's EFI there no reserve...<BG>
Mary

Beautiful pic to go along with your story. It's must be tough to go to work each day when you can ride through country like that.
Tommy

Tommy,

I have added a map to indicate location between home and where I stopped (around 40 minutes).
I should have done this before, along with the picture, I am getting sloppy.

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It's must be tough to go to work each day when you can ride through country like that.

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Up until I crushed my ankle early last year I would ride from home southwards to Cape Sounion on my Aprilia Mille almost every morning before work.
I felt blessed ...

BTW, I just checked the pics in your signature's gallery link. What a BEAUT!!!