Conanicut Island

 

Today I rode from Mystic to Beaver Tail Lighthouse and back. The lighthouse is part of Jamestown (Conanicut Island), Rhode Island. Yesterday I rode up to Twisted Throttle and picked up a windscreen for the Scrambler. Today was my first time testing it out. It was unfortunately a very windy day, which made it tough to judge (some friends that were going skydiving were cancelled on by the company due to high winds). Even so, there was a significant reduction in the wind that hits the chest/body, which really cut down on fatigue. Usually, going anywhere upwards of 50 or 60 mph I'm fighting the air pretty hard, but there's nothing hitting the chest with this thing. The air starts hitting right about chin level. Which still wears you out after a few hours (did 4 hours on the bike today), but it's definitely an improvement. I'm still deciding if I like the look of it or not. I'd prefer to not have it at all, it's just the looks/functionality ratio I have to dial in. 

Conanicut Island was beautiful. The open landscape, the tall grasses, the fields. It's just a beautiful part of New England. It reminded me very much of Denmark, even down to the smell of the grass and the sea air. I rode out to the lighthouse and then did some exploring down small farm roads (even some barely-there double track thru grass - I love riding through grass). All in all it was a great day. The Scrambler performed beautifully, even with the obnoxious winds. 

With this upcoming trip through Massachusetts and Vermont, I'm going to try and stay off of the Interstates as much as possible. In the few weeks that I've been exploring and riding this Scrambler, I've come to discover my preference really lies in two-lane, rural roads. Cruising along at 50 or 60, sweeping corners, seeing the landscape and the soul of the country. The bike seems happier in that environment as well. Pointing the bike straight down the slab and just holding 80 mph for hours just doesn't appeal to me the same way. If all goes to plan, I will be heading out either Thursday or Friday morning, riding North.