Finally everything came together for our first ride on the BMW in 2014. We'd had the motorcycle show in Phoenix on our calendar for weeks and looked forward to a sunny ride. We live at 5400' in Prescott, AZ and Phoenix, in the Valley of the Sun, is at 1117'. The temperature is typically 15-20 degrees warmer in the Valley, so even though we started out at 52 degrees in Prescott at 10am, within 45 minutes the temperature was in the 70's and I stopped shivering.
Motorcycle shows are an interesting combination of brand new bikes, classic collector bikes, leather gear (really - a leather bustier with silver and purple sequins?), helmets, and all types of bike accessories. It's also a wonderful opportunity to people watch and see the wide range of people interested in motorcycles: young couples pushing babies in a carriage, middle-age bikers wearing club vests covered with patches of rides they've taken, and senior riders who walk slowly with a cane but feel young and alive on a motorcycle.
Mike rides the BMW often to the Valley for work, but I haven't been on a ride since December. Although 4-lane interstates aren't my favorite, feeling the sun and wind, and watching the changing scenery from the mountains into the desert valley made me excited for exploring the Southwest this year on our BMW. Who knows where February will take us?
