31st of May, 2018. A motorcycle ride along the shores with my mate, just like the good ol’ days.

A quick and easy run with my mate around the local lake, Aggertalsperre. At a balmy 26°C, it was the perfect public holiday for sun-seeking Germans to be out swimming in the clear waters of the lake. Local motorcyclists also were out in numbers, carving the hilly twisties around the normally-quiet Gummersbach region. Just like back in 2014 when me and Konrad met in Sydney, we got to revive the good ol’ times of when we used to ride around Palm Beach and Kurnell.

It was imperative for me to follow behind Konrad across the routes that we rode for at least the first week, as I was not at all confident with having to ride on the right-hand side (read: wrong side), and the handful of road signs to comply that I had yet to fully understand. I felt like I was learning to ride all over again down from the basics. I’ve had too many instances where I had completely forgotten to check and scan for oncoming traffic when negotiating roundabouts, and even at intersections where I’d realise what I had done after completing the manoeuvre!

The riding position on the cafe racer inspired Beemer kills my back with a pack full of camera equipment, so I really hope that I can get some luggage bags for the R Nine T as soon as possible. I highly doubt that my spine is going to make it across the Alps next week if I don’t sort this out by this weekend. Until then, I better first read up on my owner’s manual and figure out how to turn off my heated grips! 😣

 

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