And near the end of the first day, Tad realized that the ST would power-wheelie...
And near the end of the first day, Tad realized that the ST would power-wheelie...
The biggest reason why I bought the ST, besides the fact that it's just an awesome bike, is because of it's 2-up riding capability. Over Easter weekend, Penny (see, I mentioned your name), the GF, and I decided to break in the ST and get away for the weekend. I assured her that we wouldn't do the killer miles that Jeff and I tend to do, and that we would stop a lot and see whatever she wanted to see. The weather forecast called for sunny and highs in the 60s both days. It looked like it was going to be just perfect - and it was.
Day 1:
We left Saturday morning at about 9:30. There was still a chill in the air, but the sun was out and it was looking like a great day. We jumped on the Interstate to get past Rockford and stopped for gas in Beloit. "Well, that's all for the Interstate," I said with a smile. Penny, the farmgirl that she is, was more than willing to just take backroads and enjoy the country. We headed northwest out of Beloit into an area that I'm pretty familiar with. The roads there are nice, and the rolling hills and lack of traffic, malls, and tall buildings was a nice escape already from everyday life. We went along pointing out things to each other, and I knew that I pointed something out that was good when I got a big hug from the pilon seat....either that, or I was going too fast. I even heard a "yaaaa-hoooo!!!!!" from the back seat as I went down a hill and crouched down, exposing Penny to the wind. Things were going great, and the ST was awesome. We stopped about every hour or so as we wove through the roads of southwest Wisconsin.
As we got further and further north, we left the roads I was familiar with and explored some new ones. Wow, what a difference. We hit some nice roads in the morning, but these were cleaner, twistier, and more fun. There were beautiful bluffs, rock formations, rivers and streams, and nice views as we crested some hills. I could tell by the hug frequency that Penny was really enjoying the ride.
Somewhere in the middle of B.F.E. Wisconsin, we stopped at a bar (there are no restaurants, just bars that happen to serve food) for a mid-afternoon lunch of greaseburgers and bbq pork. Penny's face lit up when she saw the sign for red raspberry pie, and she ordered the last piece - OK, I'll have cran-apple then. As we left the restaurant, we saw a guy pass on a blue BMW RT1100R wearing a blue Stitch, and I ogled at the bike as it purred by.
We continued up the road, and the scenery and roads kept improving. We were now heading through Wildcat Mountain State Park, and all I can say is "waaaaaa-hooooo!!!!!" These were the first real twisties that I have hit on the ST, and as I saw the turn signs change from 45MPH to the classic 20MPH twisties sign, my heart started to race, I put my feet up higher on the pegs, blipped a downshift, and then thought "Hmmmmm, something's different here. Oh yeah, Penny's on the back. Let's see, how much do I want to scare her..." I decided to take it easy, yet carry enough speed to have some fun. Apparently I was having a little too much fun, and I honestly didn't mean to scare her, but I did. I can't help it, it was a great road!!! We pulled over to the side to rest, and I tried to explain that I was riding waaaay within the limits of us and the bike, and she definitely relaxed after that. I can't blame her - it was her first time through twisties, and these were some pretty good ones. After our roadside stop, she was much more relaxed....until (insert music here) we came upon the 15 MPH switchbacks. YES!!! Oops, OK, I'll slow down. :-)
After another stop at a rock-cutout in the road, we took a look at a map and decided to head for Winona, Minnesota for the night, figuring it's a big enough town to have hotels, but not be overly metropolitan. During the route to Winona, sitting at a stop sign, I though, "OK, let's see what this thing will do." I pinned the throttle off the line, and at about 4,500 rpms felt the front wheel getting light. "Hmmm, I wonder if.." I thought as I chopped the throttle and then powered on, and much to my surprise "WHOOPP!!!!" up came the front wheel. Cool. "What was that," I heard from the back seat. "A wheelie!!!" I said in a very excited tone. "Cool, do it again!!" she replied. "OK." WHOOPP!!!! All I heard then was laughter from the back seat.
When we arrived in Winona, I stopped for gas, and scouted the local hotels. There was a Holiday Inn, Quality Inn, and a Best Western that looked pretty nice. Across the street was the Sugar Loaf Motel. We had talked about just grabbing a cheapo-motel for the night, and while that would have been fine with both of us, her face did light up when I went and got a nicer room at the Best Western - plus, there was a hot tub to go soak in.
Pictures from Day 1:
Penny and the ST roadside in southwest Wisconsin
The ST roadside in some awesome twisties
A roadside stop in Wildcat Mountain State Park
Day 2:
Day 2 started out just like day one. The sun was out, it was warm, and the ride was great. After a quick stop in Homer, Minnesota (D'oH!!) for a picture, I wheelied away again and we started heading down the Great River Road through Minnesota. The ride was spectacular, and we were both really enjoying the scenery, especially the wildlife. We saw egrets, hawks, and even beaver dens. After a roadside stop along the river, we continued south and crossed into Iowa, but not without first stopping for a photo op for Miss Iowa (don't worry, I won't put that picture in here).
A little further down the road, we crossed the Mississippi back into Wisconsin and continued south. I was spotting some storm clouds on the horizon, and I was worried that we were going to hit some rain. That certainly wasn't the way I wanted to have Penny's first trip go, because rain on a chilly day can make a motorcycle ride miserable.
As we headed inland, the temperature started to drop, and the sunny day turned into grey overcast. We stopped roadside to put another layer on, and decided to try and find someplace for Easter brunch - and they had to be serving ham, per Penny's request. No problem, I thought - there's a bunch of towns along this road. Well, there were a bunch of small towns, and the only Easter brunch we saw had a line out the door for seating. I flew past that one hoping to find something in Platteville. Unfortunately, most everything was closed, and there's a reason why the Bears have spring training there - there's nothing there, so there's no distractions. I spotted a McDonalds sign and we started to head towards it. The next thing I know, there's screaming and pointing coming from the rear seat. "Country Kitchen!!! Country Kitchen!!! There!! There!!" Perfect....and their Easter buffet even had ham.
The temperature was dropping quickly and we were in no hurry to get back on the bike, but alas we had a good 4 hours to go. We stopped every so often to warm up, but it was still cold. Being used to it, I was OK, but I could tell that Penny was not having as much fun now. Luckily, it never really rained - just a few drops fell. Later on down the road, we stopped at a gas station for some hot chocolate and cappucinno. After much convincing, Penny put on the rain pants that she bought the day before, and we continued on. It was just plain cold and miserable now, and there was little movement from the back seat. I offered to stop and warm up a couple more times, but I think she just wanted to get home. I don't blame her. What the hell happened to the 65 and sunny weather forcast.....hmmmm, that sounds familiar....
We made it home, mostly unscathed, but very very cold. Penny was a trooper, and I commend her for that. I was worried that she wouldn't want to do this anymore, but she assured me that except for the cold, she loved the ride - this of course, was after a 45 minute steaming hot shower, so she was in much better spirits.
Pictures from day 2:
The ST parked along the Mississippi
A nice morning view of the Mississippi
Welcome to Iowa....y'all come back now
Conclusion:
Despite the miserable weather for the last couple hours of the weekend, this trip was really great.
For Penny, it was a quick introduction to what I like to do, and I know that she enjoyed it and wants to do it again - when the weather is nicer. She has the appreciation of a "horizon where you can't see a building standing tall" and the understanding that it doesn't matter where you are going, it matters that you are enjoying the moment. That alone makes her a great companion on a motorcycle trip.
For me, it was a really different experience. The ST was a joy to ride, not only for it's wheelie-ability, but for the comfort factor and ability to handle 2-up riding very very well. The new Corbin seat also added to the comfort level. I really enjoyed riding the ST, whether we were on a straight country road, or throwing the bike around some twisties. It was also different to be riding with someone and be able to tap them on the knee and point - and have them respond to something that you direct their attention to. The best part for me was standing at a beautiful overlook, or standing on the side of a road, and just enjoying the view with someone who could appreciate it as much as I could.
For us, this was a great way for us to get away and spend time together. I'm glad that Penny is able to share in something that has meant so much to me over the years, and I know that we will continue to share in experiences like this in the future. I think I write for both of us when I say that we are both looking forward to finding out what the open road can bring....to us.
