My co-worker buddy Alex and I live in the same neighborhood, and both of us have a
nice commute on back roads through twisting pavement and dirt to get home. So,
as you would expect, we like to race each other home.
Now, usually I give Alex a head start and fire up the Tiger with him at least a mile
in the lead. I usually overtake him within 4 miles. Well, tonight all
went well and I picked of Alex earlier in the ride than usual, but when I hit the
dirt, I was moving a little fast for my new Tourance Metzlers.
I have just changed tires from the knobby Continentals to the smoother and more pavement
friendly Tourances. I am not used to the grip ( or lack thereof ) that these
provide on dirt. As a result, I ended up laying the bike over in the middle
of a turn, low-sided, thank goodness. I managed to slow down pretty well before
it fell, so I wasn’t hurt at all, but the Tiger got a scratch or two. Darn.
With that great fuel injection, it kept running the whole time. I never even
turned it off and linebacker Alex hefted it up for me while it was still running.
Well, the Ascerbis hand guards were a good investment, as were the Jack Lilly crash
guards. My lights didn’t even get smashed!
So, what does Alex do? He hefted up the bike, jumped in his truck and yelled,
“It’s on!” He beat me after all. Damn.