The Two Wheeled Team

In my posts I often refer to my brace of two-wheeled Harley Davidson friends, so I believe that it’s only right to formally introduce them.

First up is my wonderful 2003 Centenary Edition Softail Standard, often referred to as “Harls.”
At this point I must point out that I am seriously in love with this gorgeous machine! We have travelled many, many, thousands of miles together and climbed goodness knows how many thousands of feet high into the mountains.

She’s got a 1450cc, naturally aspirated, air-cooled twin cylinder engine, a silly skinny factory semi-chopper front wheel that has a habit of sliding out in the wet and turning in viciously in the dry. Two shot-gun exhaust pipes announce our presence with a staccato rasp that is always certain to turn heads! Her pearlescent white is quite distinctive and although I’ve ridden all over Europe on her I’ve never seen another even a bit similar.
She’s not designed to go touring, but we have anyway and have we had some adventures!
I’ve ridden her in all-weather, from baking sun to white-out in snow and everything in-between.
She’s looked after me on open highways, twisty narrow mountain roads, off-road in semi-desert and then sometimes just popping down to the local shop. In fact, you could say that she’s my two-wheeled soul mate.

Here is the newest member of the team, who has only just joined us in early April 2018.
She’s a Softail Heritage Classic with a 107 cubic inch (1745cc) engine in lovely metallic olive-green and black; here at Dookes H.Q. we have nicknamed her “Hettie” – yes I know that not everyone gives a machine a name, but I do if it’s got two wheels!
So far, so good with Hettie; she’s still “breaking in,” but is just lovely to ride, just like Harls. The two bikes really do compliment each other very well and I’m looking forward to happy days ahead.

If you look closely at Hettie you may spot a few little chrome embellishments that also once graced my big blue tourer, in a way it’s sort of passing on the baton and stamping my ownership on my new machine.
A Farewell
It’s been a bit sad to say goodbye to “Baby Blue”, a previous team member, but she just got too big and heavy for this old Geezer to enjoy anymore. I’ll long remember the good times we had together and I hope that she gives her new owner loads of fun.