Post
by tsheshabalaya » Fri Apr 08, 2011 10:43 pm
Dear Drifter,
Thanks about the article.
Used to ride with a group (we had a club called Redliners - some of us were also hunters), but as we grow older, my friends are giving up biking - or downgrading to smaller bikes.
So, I now ride alone. As a matter of fact, I have just done 3,000 kms from the Algarve via France to Geneva - where I am now - and shall be going back Monday.
Truth is on a long-distance bike trip, one makes 'friends' fast. It is always an easy conversation prop, and my German bike, Belgian plates and Indian looks catalyse the first words from total strangers. I like this way of travel for several reasons - not least because such interactions allow one to feel the pulse of different places and people.
I live mainly in the Algarve, but move to Belgium for 3-4 days every two weeks or so, although my bike - the 'main' one (an R1150 RS) - is based in Portugal. I have a 1973 R-65 in Belgium, which now replaces a K-1200R (tough to justify it being kept in harness - but it pales for serious long distance (plus routine/everyday) rides vis-a-vis the Boxer.
What about you ? There is a great course in the Algarve by the way, the Autodromo, which one can rent out. I used to do track in the 1990s (with an R-GSX). The 'kid' of someone I know, Xavier Simeon, is now coming up in the MotoGP world. His father and some other common friends were also heavy into pro karting, and at one point I had tried to get some upcoming racers from India there - never had the time to follow up, though.
Regards,
Tosh