Pastor Jim asked a buddy (Chinariders member sucksqueezebangblow) and I to accompany him on a ride today, in preparation for his Class 6 motorcycle skills test tomorrow. He has the specific learner's permit, but he can only ride with Class 6 holders over the age of 25. Sucksqueezebangblow and I certainly qualify.
I borrowed another buddy's 600 Honda Silverwing, and SSBB rode his his 1000 Honda Firestorm (VTR1000F, aka Superhawk in the USA) and Jim was aboard his new 250 Saga scooter. The weather was a bit crisp, but it was above freezing and very clear with no clouds. A great day.
We tooled around the country roads a bit, then we put up some cones in a parking lot for Jim to practice. He did very well. We spent the rest of the afternoon just enjoying a good ride. SSBB was very gracious, and tried to resist the temptation to twist the throttle and disappear. His bike is an absolute rocketship.
Here's a very happy Jim, out for the first time:
Here's Jim and Weldangrind. I'm obviously saying something very important; perhaps it was "Where can I find a vest like that?"
My buddy's Silverwing defies the typical definition of a scooter. He installed a Hindle pipe on it, and it takes off and sounds like a 600 sport bike. It's really impressive. I could easily ride that machine for hours at a time on the highway.