Of Rocket and the winter rain

I got a new riding partner this week! Tony, a friend from the office can't wait to show off his Triumph Rocket III. As far as showing off is concern, this will definitely be the ultimate show-off. It's not a bike; it's a BEAST! With its 2300cc three in-line cylinders engine, this is the biggest capacity on any production bike ever made! If Tony was ever going to name this bike, I think he should name it "The Mid-life Crisis"... haha!

Anyway, made plans to ride on Sunday morning with Tony. We picked my favourite Somerset Dam route with its scenic and gentle twist. I don't think tight uphill roads like Mt. Tamborine would be so kind to the 320kg machine Tony is on today. Besides, the weather forecast predicted early afternoon rain so I'd rather be around familiar territory, just in case.

Tony was at my house by 6:00 am. After a nice cup of Nespresso coffees each (my wife even got up just to see the Rocket III!) we hit the road by 6:30 am. The sky looks a bit cloudy but I'm sure we'll be alright - rain in Brisbane has never been known to be like the rain in KL anyway.

Here's Tony with his baby at our quick stop at The Spit. Suddenly my RT looks tiny in comparison.

We head on to Kilcoy and stopped for pie and coffee (oh, how I wish they have nasi lemak, roti canai and teh tarik!) at my favourite cafe. The sky turned darker so we decided to head back through Mt. Mee and Mt. Pleasant. Just 5 minutes after leaving the cafe, it started to pour. Now, you'll see who's the master of the road - by now Tony is drenched but I'm tucked comfortably, nice and warm behind my windscreen, with my seat and grip heater on.

We had to stop by the roadside for Tony to put on his wet gears. And he also learnt later that putting on his wet gears on top of his already wet clothes was not a good idea after all...

As we continue our journey crossing the top of Mt. Mee and Mt. Pleasant (in which by now, is not that pleasant anymore!), the road was already slippery, the rain on the visor made visibility rather poor and to top it all up it was foggy and very windy. I was thinking to myself; what kind of person would rather be here than being at home lying in bed under a warm blanket or enjoying a hot cup of coffee and breakfast while watching the tv? And I thought, "Naaahhh... I'd rather be here!". Like Fred my instructor said, you'd have to be a bit crazy to be a biker!

One final quick stop at Dayboro for yet another cup of coffee and for Tony to dry up then we went our separate ways heading home. I finish off my Sunday with a nice Malaysian Indian food lunch with some friends later. The weather forecast showing rain for the whole of next week so I guess my bike will be resting in the garage for a while.