Hinckley to Land's End

Well this is all ready to be posted a little later than planned and most of that has been due to lack of wifi access but now, as I sit with this cup of tea watching the rain in Glasgow I have time to post an update from day one of this awesome ride.

First, the bike change! Originally for this trip Triumph staffers asked what type of bike I would like to ride. I didn't hesitate in my reply, "a modern classic!"  The idea being that the current modern classic line contains 2 of my top 5 favorite Triumph models and it would be a great way to incorporate the heritage that the brand has during the ride.  So I was given a choice, Thruxton or Scrambler? I chose the Thruxton. Unfortunately a combination of weather and a rear tire that would need to be changed part way through the trip nixed that in the end, and at this point I'm pretty happy it did as there are a few things that I may not have known/planned for with this trip.

First, Google Maps is a great tool for laying out routes and getting a general idea as to what you will see along the way. However, it does not account for the British people's fondness for many types of round-a-bouts, nor does it accurately calculate "Cornish" miles. My first day should have been about 400 miles in total.  I ended up riding over 650 miles do to Google Maps not explaining that it only counts the 4 large round-a-bouts out of Hinckley, not the other 8 that are in the actual route!  It also needs to learn a great deal about Cornish miles, which seem to be roughly 1.8 actual miles.  A difference that adds up rather quickly.

Secondly, and to the point, I have not ridden this type of mileage per day for this many days in some time and my bum just isn't in shape for it.  The Thruxton would have been fun in the twisties and would be a real head turner through London, but I don't know if my body would have taken it.  Instead I landed on a 2013 Tiger 800 standard that just finished the full 1000 mile break in period!

That's her, and in my favorite color!  Amazingly I've been averaging 59 MPG so far. Not bad for a bike this size and with the power it makes. Kind of makes me wonder how someone could justify buying the Honda NC700X just for fuel economy. I'm sure if I was nice to it I could clear 65 MPG and the Tiger has so much more to offer in terms of performance, handling and adventure. Maybe I should find some trails to explore in Scotland?

Well that's what happened day one, and here is a link to a video recap: http://youtube/qS5ZfspZ8Us