MARK
The Worst:
I keep thinking the worst riding experience was getting totally drenched in Greece on the Harley-Davidson FXDR 114, but who am I kidding? I was in Greece! And there was a hotel room at the end of the ride with a hot shower, followed by cold beer! What is it they say: “The worst day on a motorcycle is still better than the best day in a car”? I’m not sure that’s really true, but it’s a good point.
No — the worst would have been riding to my former girlfriend’s Celebration Of Life after her death from cancer at just 56 years old. My head was all jumbled with thoughts, and I melted a hole in my rainpants just before a massive thunderstorm swept over, soaking me through.
To cap it off, I was delayed by taking the scenic route along the Forks of the Credit Road at Belfountain, north of Toronto, because an 18-wheeler had tried to drive through, despite the signs prohibiting large trucks; it was jammed in a hairpin and I took photos of it taking out the guardrails to get by. When I went to the local OPP station later to offer up the photos as evidence of the damage it had caused, the cops couldn’t be bothered to come to the door, so it went unreported.
Riding my motorcycle helped, a lot, but it was still just a bummer of a day.
The Best:
This one’s easy. For actual riding, it was finally reaching Canada’s southernmost point, on Pelee Island, Ontario, with my long-suffering wife on a BMW R1200RT. That’s another off the bucket list. It was made even more special when I drove a truck the following month to the Arctic Ocean at Tuktoyaktuk, NWT.
But really, the best times were whenever I’d open a note from a reader who would tell us how much he or she enjoys and appreciates CMG. We’re all in this together, and it’s great to know when we’re doing it right.
Oh, my. Is that a 1980 RD400G I spy in Costa’s garage? I had a ’79. It’s “The One that Got Away” and I kick myself for that several decades later.
Trane, you got that right. It belongs to a friend.
Hey Willy, the next time you are in Warroad, check out a place called “The Shed” on the south side of the highway in town. It’s an amazing collection of cars by a local businessman. It’s even worth a special trip just to see it.