Photo by Scott A. Williams
Photo by Robert Bourget
Photo by Dale Larson
Top Left: Dale’ s Blackbird made quick work of Hurricane Ridge Road in Olympic National Park, c. 2003. Top Right: Stanley Park Drive in Vancouver, British Columbia, wasn’ t the best place to open up the Blackbird, c. 2003. Bottom: Bob’ s Aprilia Tuono 1000 scratched the itch – hard, c. 2013.
On the home stretch of State Route 114, the bike’ s vibey mirrors revealed two bright headlights. An instant later, a blue and white GSX-R750 pulled up on my left. The rider gestured,“ wanna go?” Being neither stupid nor brave enough to race him, I gestured back,“ after you.” For a few delicious miles, the landscape blurred. It’ s just as well I couldn’ t keep up, since my left turn onto Harmon’ s Beach Road arrived way sooner than usual. Pulling into Bart’ s lake-side camp, I felt an adrenaline rush I still remember to this day.
Some years later, a similar rush was delivered by a Honda CBR1100XX Super Blackbird. At its introduction, it was the fastest production motorcycle you could buy. Dale Larson had one, a well-kept 1999 model, the first year with fuel injection. While visiting him in the Pacific Northwest, he graciously offered me the keys. With soft luggage, a convex windscreen, and heated grips, it was set up for sport touring, but it still had fire in its belly. Dale led us briskly along a smooth two-lane road easing through central Washington wheat fields. As the inline- Four revved above 8,000 rpm, I felt a furious surge of momentum. Wicked! Honda’ s open-class legend still had abundant speed in reserve when my fatherly sensibility returned.
Another time, a bar-end throttle lock I was reviewing wasn’ t compatible with the hand guards on my Kawasaki Versys, so I reached out to Bob Bourget. I figured something in his ever-changing stable of wheeled machines could serve as a test mule. Always glad to oblige, Bob helped me install the test accessory on his 2007 Aprilia Tuono 1000. Then he offered me the keys.“ I’ m not the tester,” he noted.“ Wait’ til you’ re past the police garage to open it up.” Sage advice, as a cruiser was lying in wait on the far side.
With its visceral Rotax V-Twin, that Ape was one mad motorcycle. Even at sub-felonious speed, I felt like a hooligan at the controls. The clever throttle lock performed as designed, but in the interest of science I tried it repeatedly, conveniently extending my ride on Bob’ s Aprilia. I concluded that Tuono riders would probably just pin the throttle and hang on.
Here’ s to friends who offer you their keys.
MAY
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