
Escapism | Sun sinking in the West sets mountains aglow. Park the bike in a meadow and kick your smile to the skies. Enjoy what life can offer you.

Escapism | Sun sinking in the West sets mountains aglow. Park the bike in a meadow and kick your smile to the skies. Enjoy what life can offer you.

Happy Birthday Matt Damon! 49 today. Broad smile whilst filming for The Bourne Ultimatum riding a lightly customized Montessa Cota by Honda 4RT260 trials bike.

Prehistoric Pratt | Toy bike from Matchbox of the Triumph Scrambler ridden by Chris Pratt’s character velociraptor handler Owen Grady. I need to elbow room in my wall display…

Cases | The new panniers were finally picked up and installed. Now Georgie is set for good distances. The first oil change is coming up too! First milestone!

Arabian Nights | like some Aladdin character this overhead view of a modern Bonneville looks set to swiftly transport you across lands for adventure.

Bookish | A perfect week in Wigtown Scotland running a second hand bookshop. Some lads Triumph Tiger parking along the High Street reminded me that the hills and coast of Galloway would be stunning riding country.

Triathlon Triumph | What better steed to be on to offer vehicular support for the 36th Chicago Triathlon than a triple cylindered Tiger. Ten volunteer riders showed up under Lake Shore Drive at a coffee and donut fed 5am to give facility for race officials and photographers during the cycling portion of the iconic swim-bike-run endeavor. I had Ali, a Turkish photographer, as my pillion taking him around the course to memorialize the huge effort put in by the entrants. The weather was perfect (though the swim was cancelled due to unsafe lake conditions) and we all had a great time.

Wyatt & Daryl | the final episode of the first season of Ride With Reedus sees The Walking Dead actor cruising through the Everglades and down The Keys on a pair of Triumphs. Norman is like a kid in a candy store riding alongside the iconic Peter Fonda. ‘Gators, Hemingway and tales from the road.

The Duke | A different kind of horse for John Wayne. Comic book adventures chasing hoodlums around a mountainside hairpin bend.

Box | the new panniers which were part of a special deal from Triumph are arriving soon. Just waiting for the mounting rails. Then we’ll be rolling like a mule!

Start ’em young | Available at Target for 4-7 year olds here is a ride on Beemer GS adventure bike for the tot who needs to explore their back yard. Dual sport E-bike?

Tigress | On Display at a recent New Delhi Motorcycle show are a pair of Triumph XC 800’s . The model is Prabhjot, a model from Chandigarh, who, at the time, was pursuing a masters degree.
Photograph: Rajesh Karkera

Totaled | A sad day in GeordieBiker-ville. The insurance evaluation guy came by today and, after an exhaustive hour looking at the damage, wrote her off. Damages far exceed the value. Simple accounting with far reaching implications. The bike of my dreams was taken away in the back of a van.

It’s not IF it will happen, but WHEN | So this was the reason for shortening the weekend: I had an accident on the bike, the first serious one. At an intersection in deepest Illinois farmland as I was leading the group the route took a left turn at a Stop sign. As I rolled to a stop the bike behind me barreled into the rear of the Tiger. Next thing I knew it was a scattering of me and bikes. The Tiger is beat up superficially and I managed to ride it the 200 miles home last evening – I frankly don’t know how. Today I went to the ER. X-rays found 2 broken ribs, a fractured wrist and a crack at the tip of my ring finger. Splint, pain meds, then healing. Remember kids! All the gear all the time! I could have come off a lot worse! The ride to that point was marvelous!

Tiger Trail | the days riding around north east Illinois was enlightening. A good 150 miles of rural gravel roads crisscrossing Jo Daviess County. I learned to finally use the back brake on the loose surface; and to power through the looser gravel. The new tires performed exceptionally. The day (and weekend) were cut short… but we’ll get into that tomorrow…