Oh the wind was kicking today!! Always makes for fun riding when your in a High Wind Advisory!
This time last year we would be at the kite beach getting our kite boarding on (well at this particular time last year, I would be watching from the sidelines with a ruptured ear drum while The Doc would be kiting). Sadly (but not too sadly) we haven’t been kite boarding this season. This year the desire to ride has won over both The Doc and I.
It was a little chilly today, about 62 when we left, and overcast. As the day went on the temp dropped and the sun came out. So we put on the inner liners in our motorcycle jackets and hit the road cruising. The Doc had it a little bit chillier than I did, I had the nice big fairing of the FJR to tuck behind 
One of the perks of the FJR!
The Doc wanted to get a new tank bag for the Duc as well as a tinted visor for his Arai helmet. There is a Barney’s about 15 minutes from our house but what fun would that be?
We wanted to ride!! We hopped on the Crosstown and headed over to St. Pete to that Barney’s. The route included a nice ride over a long bridge. With high wind that was fun! Actually it wasn’t that bad until we came off the bridge. There was a stretch of area wide open from the water and it was a straight onshore breeze. I swear the bike was horizontal as I rode through that.
Barney’s was a success. The Doc found Cortex Tank Bag and tinted visor!
I am The Stig's American Sister!!!
After Barney’s we decided it was lunch time. I also thought it was a good time to goof off and steal The Docs helmet and play Stig. If you don’t watch Top Gear Uk, you must check it out. Especially if you love cars!!
Lunch and Helmets!
Once lunch was complete was drove around town running errands. That sounds so boring, let me try that again. Once lunch was complete, we hopped on the bikes and fought crazy ninja’s as they tried to steal the treasure in the tank bag!!! That sounds so much more interesting!
We finally beat all the raging ninjas around Tampa, The Doc said something I was not expecting to hear, “Do you want to ride the Duc?”
“WHAT WAS THAT?!” I said. My ears must have been playing tricks on me, Did he really just ask if I wanted to ride the Ducati?!
HELLLLLLLL YESSSSSSS!
We drove to a corporate center near the house where we played Chinese fire drill. He jumped on the FJR and I hopped on the Ducati.
I just wanted to drive down the road. There was no desire to take her to her limits, I leave that to The Doc. If she was mine, I would have done more but since it wasn’t mine, I wanted to take it easy with her.
The Duc did not disappoint. It was beyond anything that I have ever experience…and I barely put her in second gear. The roar of the engine, the power of her throttle, I was in heaven, and I barely hit second gear. It was this moment that I understood The Doctors instant love of her.
I told him that I do want to ride her again but for today, my straight line of taking her to 30mph (seriously, that is as “fast” as I took her but I got there with barely a twist of the throttle), was enough.
Like I said, when it is someone else’s bike, it makes me nervous. It is one thing if I tip my bike over, but to do it to someone else’s bike, I couldn’t even imagine that feeling.
Happy Riding!
