Willow
Administrator
Member
Posts: 16767
Excessive comfort breeds weakness. PttP
Olathe, KS
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« on: August 04, 2017, 02:08:37 PM » |
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I rode to lunch at Taco Bell. Had already used up some of my break time so I needed to consume a little quickly.
Taco Bell is not that far from where I live and work. It's on the other side of a large parking lot that used to be Walmart's. Now the parking lot serves Hobby Lobby and the Goodwill store. There is also a service station before the Bell and a Bar and Grill behind. One can choose to go south to the stoplight, turn left, and go 150 yards east before turning left again into the service station that adjoins Taco Bell. One could otherwise turn left before the light, cross the parking lot and pass behind the service station into Taco Bell's parking lot. I chose to turn short of the stoplight.
As I entered the Taco Bell parking lot things got more complicated than they needed to be. There were three open downhill spaces on my left. Approaching from the other direction was a cage. As I approached a pickup just short of the three spaces turned on its backup lights. Behind me was a pickup with construction company markings. I hesitated. The oncoming cage paused. The pickup showing backup lights didn't move. Irolled forward and swung around left two hundred seventy degrees to back into the second of the three downhill spaces.
As I let the bike roll backwards into the space the pickup that had been behind me pulled past and stopped, not bothering to pull into a parking space. A man who appeared to be just a little older than I, or maybe just worked harder, got out of the pickup and walked toward or past the space I was in. He was on the phone and looking up and down the bike. I dismounted and stepped toward the Bell.
"Good afternoon." He held up an index finger and talked rapidly on the phone. I waited a few seconds.
"What is that? I saw you go past Hobby Lobby and thought, that's not a Boss Hoss is it?"
"It's a Honda Valkyrie. They built them from '97 until 2003. It's the same engine you'd see on the Goldwing but without some of the plastic."
"I thought I knew everything about motorcycles. I have several. I've nver seen one of those."
"Well, the guy that put on the custom paint removed the badges."
"And those pipes!"
"Those are not stock. Those are Two Brothers. Normally they'd be just about like Goldwing pipes."
We talked a bit more. He walked back toward his truck and I went into the lunch place.
It's interesting how much attention the bike gets. Sometimes it's nice to have an opportunity to brag. Sometimes it just slows down an already behind schedule errand.
It's fun to ride a Valkyrie.
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Brewer
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« Reply #1 on: August 04, 2017, 02:30:55 PM » |
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How many of you read this in Willow's voice? Thanks for sharing.
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Brewer - it is a hobby
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The emperor has no clothes
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« Reply #2 on: August 04, 2017, 02:31:25 PM » |
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I would imagine that happens a lot with your new bike.  |
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Willow
Administrator
Member
Posts: 16767
Excessive comfort breeds weakness. PttP
Olathe, KS
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« Reply #3 on: August 04, 2017, 02:42:04 PM » |
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I would imagine that happens a lot with your new bike. She does draw a good amount of attention and, quite honestly, it's not the first time she's been followed across a parking lot.  |
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Rams
Member
Posts: 16684
So many colors to choose from yet so few stand out
Covington, TN
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« Reply #4 on: August 04, 2017, 04:20:20 PM » |
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I would imagine that happens a lot with your new bike. She does draw a good amount of attention and, quite honestly, it's not the first time she's been followed across a parking lot. That bike gets attention even from or should I say, especially from Valkyrie owners who are not easily impressed. She's a pretty one, she is. |
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VRCC# 29981
Learning the majority of life's lessons the hard way.
Every trip is an adventure, enjoy it while it lasts.
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old2soon
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« Reply #5 on: August 04, 2017, 07:26:19 PM » |
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Guessin here BUT that "sound" comin out the Two Brothers exhaust Might could be I bit intimidating!  OR that Bright Yaller paint job maybe?  Lookin good there Carl! RIDE SAFE. |
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Today is the tommorow you worried about yesterday. If at first you don't succeed screw it-save it for nite check. 1964 1968 U S Navy. Two cruises off Nam.
VRCCDS0240 2012 GL1800 Gold Wing Motor Trike conversion
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f6gal
Administrator
Member
Posts: 6894
Surprise, AZ
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« Reply #6 on: August 04, 2017, 09:59:28 PM » |
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I ate lunch at Taco Bell too.
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« Last Edit: August 05, 2017, 10:02:21 AM by f6gal »
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Willow
Administrator
Member
Posts: 16767
Excessive comfort breeds weakness. PttP
Olathe, KS
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« Reply #7 on: August 05, 2017, 05:16:12 AM » |
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I ate at lunch at Taco Bell too.
We're like twins! |
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f6gal
Administrator
Member
Posts: 6894
Surprise, AZ
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« Reply #8 on: August 05, 2017, 10:09:56 AM » |
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I ate at lunch at Taco Bell too.
We're like twins! Except for the length of our ........ stories. |
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Hooter
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« Reply #9 on: August 05, 2017, 12:52:37 PM » |
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The gist of the story is cool and I would venture to say that somebody enjoyed it as much as the ladies did... But, just reading about eating at Taco Bell makes me think I'd better head to the bathroom.  |
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You are never lost if you don't care where you are!
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wiggydotcom
Member
Posts: 3387
Do Your Best and Miss the Rest!
Yorkville, Illinois
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« Reply #10 on: August 07, 2017, 03:52:21 AM » |
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As I was reading about the vehicles involved and how 3 vehicles navigated toward the open parking spots, I was afraid this might end badly with more than one vehicle trying to occupy the same space at the same time. Glad it turned into an admiring session. Glad I got to ride behind you and your beautiful bike at IZ on the poker run scouting trip and a lunch run. It truly is a work of art. Come to think of it, so are you, Carl!  |
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VRCC #10177 VRCCDS #239  |
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czuch
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« Reply #11 on: August 07, 2017, 01:29:16 PM » |
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You know why they don't have playgrounds at Taco Bell...
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Aot of guys with burn marks,gnarly scars and funny twitches ask why I spend so much on safety gear
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Daniel Meyer
Member
Posts: 5493
Author. Adventurer. Electrician.
The State of confusion.
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« Reply #12 on: August 07, 2017, 01:52:28 PM » |
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That's one of the things I REALLY like about long solo trips on the valk...I make a LOT of gas stops and better than half of them somebody will come to see/chat about the Valk or whatever... The "whatever's" are interesting... Meet a lot of folks that way  |
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CUAgain, Daniel Meyer  |
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