That tank is gorgeous.
We all have little things that remind us of cool moments in life and that tank has sparked a memory
Somewhere in France, riding down to Spain, I was riding through a French city, one of those cities that’s a bit sprawling and has a large river flowing through the middle of it with a number of bridges that cross over from one side to the other.
I was on Beryl the yellow peril, a custard yellow 1150GS, a well worn looking example of a BMW. I’m stopped at the lights when a guy on a guzzi cafe racer pulls up by the side of me at the lights, big alloy fuel tank, clip ons, jeans, brown leather jacket, open face with brown leather trimming. Fuck, he’s one good looking, penguins bollocks type cool looking dude. He looks like the guy who just never makes an effort to look good, it’s that James Dean cool, the kind of cool that people try to achieve but fail because they’ve had to try. I dare say it doesn’t come naturally, but that bike, that location, the sunshine, the look...I’m not one to care about how I look really, but right then, right there.....I wanna be that guy on that bike!
He tips me the nod, the lights change and we cross the bridge in tandem. Over the other side of the bridge he again gives a nod and lays the bike over as he turns left and fills the air with wonderful tuneful exhaust note as he smoothly winds on the throttle.
Sorry for sharing my momentary bromance, love your work Mikeyboy