We've been enduring our part of a very uncomfortable "heat wave" that enveloped much of the U.S. recently, which finally broke a few days ago. With perfect riding weather (mid-70s and dry air) I got a text from Ken, owner of Project 25, a particularly striking Italian Red 1998 VFR800 FI, with an invite to join him on a local morning ride. We selected Friday and met near Rochester, a sleepy little town on the Fox River in southeastern Wisconsin.
Ken acquired his bike in the Fall of 2019. It showed 17K miles at the time and was a very clean example. Ken has since added a Corbin Smuggler seat and Throttlemeister throttle lock, plus recent fresh tires and an appropriate personalized license plate.
We rolled west from Rochester, working our way to the southern part of the Kettle Moraine Scenic Drive, eventually taking a breakfast stop at the Edge Of Town Cafe in Palmyra. Ken is a commercial pilot and, of course, a motorcyclist, so we have plenty in common. Experienced pilots often have a varied and interesting career path, and Ken's story didn't disappoint. Suitably caffeinated, we set out exploring the area's county and township roads — a nice mix of open road blasts and quiet tree-shaded byways. Traffic was light, so we usually had the roads to ourselves, with the occasional turkey and deer sightings keeping us on our toes. A final butt break and coffee at my usual stop in East Troy, and we motored east, splitting with a wave in Waterford, me heading south and Ken north to home.
A pair of classic Honda V4 Interceptors on the midwest backroads is an increasingly rare experience, and I'm happy to have shared the ride with one of my project bikes and great company.
We rolled west from Rochester, working our way to the southern part of the Kettle Moraine Scenic Drive, eventually taking a breakfast stop at the Edge Of Town Cafe in Palmyra. Ken is a commercial pilot and, of course, a motorcyclist, so we have plenty in common. Experienced pilots often have a varied and interesting career path, and Ken's story didn't disappoint. Suitably caffeinated, we set out exploring the area's county and township roads — a nice mix of open road blasts and quiet tree-shaded byways. Traffic was light, so we usually had the roads to ourselves, with the occasional turkey and deer sightings keeping us on our toes. A final butt break and coffee at my usual stop in East Troy, and we motored east, splitting with a wave in Waterford, me heading south and Ken north to home.
A pair of classic Honda V4 Interceptors on the midwest backroads is an increasingly rare experience, and I'm happy to have shared the ride with one of my project bikes and great company.
RSS Feed