[Jeff Higgins]

Every now and then the stars align and I'm able to have more than the usual fun on the old girl. Today was one of those days...

I was loping along on a relatively straight, flat section that leads to my favorite, and most familiar set of twisties. I have done literally thousands of "laps" on this road in the last 47 years, on every bike I've ever owned and in every car as well. To say "I know it like the back of my hand" would be a fantastic understatement.

I caught up to a young man on what turned out to be a Suzuki M109R B.O.S.S., one of these "power cruisers". He was stuck behind a very slow moving farm truck, so I just fell in last in line. At the first passing zone, fully expected, he pulled out and whacked it open. Well, I'm sorry, but that's akin to throwing a tennis ball for Ed (my Golden Retriever). I was chasing him before I even knew I was chasing him...

So, it was "on". He stayed on it long after he could have let up, all the way to the next corner. I couldn't believe it, but the old Sporty actually did a credible job of keeping him at least in sight. Then we got to the first corner...

I was surprised how early he got on the brakes. It caught me out so bad I darn near rear ended him. That's when I started to figure I just might have a chance here... I stayed right on his fender through the first part of the twisties. The next "braking zone" with enough room to safely do so saw me quite thoroughly out-brake him. Then, with clear road in front of me and no traffic, I simply checked out.

About three miles later the "fun" section ends, and the road crosses a river. I stopped on the shoulder on the bridge, got off, shut it off, and waited. I could hear him coming - he was giving it all it had. When he saw me, he pulled over.

The look on his face when my old gray dome emerged from my helmet was priceless. I think he was in his early twenties, if that. Hell of a nice young man. He was well and truly gobsmacked - "what is that thing? How old is it? How old are you???"

Turned out my bike is older than his dad. He didn't know what to say. Took all kinds of pictures of it, though.

Fun day.