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I spent last Sunday and Monday saddled up on my Aprilia Futura blazing thorugh the mountain roads of Arizona.  This is a brief summary of our trip route:

• Started off in the Phoenix area
• Took 89A through Yarnell, Prescott, and Jerome
• Took 260 through Payson, Show Low and holed up in Alpine at the head of the 191 South mountain run
• Took 191 from Alpine to Morenci
• Took 60 from Safford all the way back to Phoenix

This was an interesting trip for me.  I had done this exact loop about five years prior on my (then) Aprilia Mille.  I specifically remember returing from the first trip with what felt like a broken back, shot shoulders, and my arse killing me…from the seat of course.  I also wore myself out mentaly and physically.  Why?  Not because I was in poor shape, but because ‘every’ twisty had to be taken at Rossi speeds.  What can I say, the Mille demanded it.

This trip was much different.  While I would call the Futura…say…85% capable of the Mille, it simply does not require you ride it like you stole it.  For the first time in a very long while, I chilled out on the ride and enjoyed the surrounding elements.  I still rode the Futura pretty hard, but NOT 10-tenths.  In fact, I rode at more like 8-tenths.  I found that I enjoyed the ride a little more this way, even though it was not as exhilerating and adrenalin packed.  But for the first time, that’s OK.

I purposely worked on keeping the bike in a gear or two higher than in the past to work on smoothness and comfort versus banging gears until the entry ans hammering the brakes at the approaches.  That shit takes effort.  It was amazing to find how much less drained I was at the end of a section of twisties than in the past.  No heavy breathing, no arm pump, and no ‘moments’.

I’m human though.  There were sessions of red mist, but they were brief and controlled .  And as mentioned earlier, the Futura will still perform rather well in the tight stuff as well as the high-speed sweepers.

Part of this evolution is age/wisdom, part is the fact that I have dependents now, and part is the fact that I have a track bike.  All of these contribute to me having the want to not be joe-racer on the open roads.  I have always been mellow in the straight stuff and in town, but game-on in the twisties.  Cages were the enemy an needed to be relegated ASAP (heh-still true, but a little more tame).  If I wasn’t on the binder full-tilt as I approached a turn, I wasn’t going fast enough.

And for what?  A few seconds that will never count towards a trophy, a purse winning, or shagging an umbrella girl.  Instead, I got to simply enjoy the ride, the scenery, and the seat time.  I like this sport touring thing.  I think I’ll keep it.  Now if I could only get more Hp…shhhhhhhh